Somewhere I Belong
by MAPLE CRESYNT
Summary: There's something sinister in the air... something not right.... A young fourteen year old girl wakes up in Aerith's church alone, confused, and scared. Full summary inside
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Okay... well I've never seen the movie... neither have I played the video games. But I have watched a few music videos, and have read a lot of brilliant stories involving many of the FFVII characters, so hopefully all of the original characters won't be too OOC in my story. Ummm... this is my first story, so any advice or corrections are welcome (comments make me happy, and feel more inspired to go on, so if you like my story, click on the small review button down there! Or where ever it is-).

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the FFVII characters. I just own Kitty and Clary... plus anyone else who doesn't seem familiar to you.

Summary: _There's something sinister in the air... something not right..._ A young fourteen year old girl wakes up in Aerith's church alone, confused, and scared. _There's something coming... _she wanders out into a street, and sees nobody, it's raining... where was everyone one? The city, for as much as the girl could see, was in ruins. _The girl is the key... she's the key... _the girl turns a corner into an alley, and finds three silver-haired men. _You will protect her... _the journey begins.

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**CHAPTER ****ONE INVASION**

"Kitty!"

Kitty's hand slipped, involuntarily, over the mouse— she gasped as she heard her aunt's heeled-shoes _click-clanking_ ostentatiously on the stairs; her aunt was coming…. Kitty fumbled with the computer mouse in her hand and cancelled the video she'd been watching. The song Inside of You by Hoobastank was immediately cut off, and the air in the room seemed to congeal because of the ringing silence that abruptly followed.

"This will only take an hour of your time, Kitty," Clary appeared at the doorway, just as Kitty spun around in the swivel chair. Clary was tapping absentmindedly upon the doorframe, watching her niece with an expression of inquiry. It was as if Clary was silently asking Kitty what she had been looking at on the computer. Yet Clary didn't ask anything out loud; she trusted Kitty. And Kitty did not tamper with her aunt's trust… she just felt timid when it came to what music she listened to— and what videos she watched. Kitty didn't want her aunt's judgment on any of it….

"Would you mind," Clary continued on, "going to Safeway? We've run out of bread, milk, and a variety of snacks."

Kitty groaned slumping down in the chair, "No I don't mind," she lied. God knows, how many arguments Kitty had had before with her aunt, about going and not wanting to go.

Clary raised a distinguished eyebrow, at her niece. Once again, Kitty was reminded of her aunt's graceful beauty. Clary had long wavy auburn hair; gold shimmered in it like the rays of the sun. Her eyes were topaz blue, the color of crisp water, and her skin was as soft as a peach ripe enough to eat. While Clary was gorgeous, Kitty was ordinary— at least that's what Kitty thought of herself. Kitty was stick-thin, whereas her aunt was curvaceous, she had large plain brown eyes, and brunette hair. Not a single ray of gold shone in Kitty's long hair… She'd once cried about it when she was younger. _Aunty why haven't I got sun in my hair? _Her aunt had only given her a small smile, and then had patted her head affectionately, telling her that everyone was made differently.

"Okay well… stop staring, and get going, Kat. Storm clouds are on their way; imminent rain, this afternoon." Clary then left, but not before giving Kitty a small smile of thanks.

Kitty rode her bike through the gated community she and her aunt lived in, it had taken a while to get off of the swivel chair she'd been on— due to laziness— but she had made it. She had her thick ponytail tucked into her sweatshirt's hood, and rode fast down the hill towards the gates.

No one was about. The huge white and gray homes loomed gloomily on the right side of the road, and a large luscious green lawn spread for miles to the left of Kitty. _People must be expecting lightning and rain…_ Kitty mused; she glanced from side to side— still no one.

Kitty reached the gates, and punched a code into the entry/exit pad…. _29786_…. The immense iron gates opened up, with a groan of protest, allowing her through before closing automatically. Kitty didn't wait until they had closed completely, struggling to gain speed with her rusty pedals, Kitty sped down the deserted street beyond the gates.

By the time Kitty reached the parking lot of Safeway, the clouds had begun to let pour their contents, sprinkling the road with rain droplets.

"What next?" Kitty murmured under her breath darkly. She had been hoping for a dry ride back to the house…. But by the looks of the outside world, now, she'd be _lucky_ to make it home without getting completely soaked.

She noticed that there were only a few cars in the capacious parking lot. Silently Kitty rode up to a bike rack set up on the pavement underneath Safeway's roof. Raindrops had already soaked through the thin fabric of her dark navy sweatshirt, making her sigh with disappointment. She loved rain— don't get her wrong— but today… she'd rather not get soaked.

Walking into the brightly lit marketplace, Kitty was met with a gentle buzz of conversation and the distinctive sound of something like carts being pushed up against one another. She grabbed a basket by the entrance, and headed off to get milk, bread, and a few healthy-choice snacks. She decided on Lactose-free milk and whole wheat bread, mentally checking off the list as she walked over to the snack aisles, humming softly to herself. When she reached the snack aisles, she headed straight for where the pretzels were; she loved pretzels— even if not all of them were healthy for her.

Stacking the basket with a few bags of Snyder pretzels, Kitty heard some raised voices, and glanced up. Here her gaze fell upon the back of a lofty and burly cloaked man. From her view, she could see that he had long waves of thick ginger hair cascading down to his shoulder-blades. An ugly aspect to men; long hair— she thought.

"I don't care—" the man was shouting, and then he lowered his voice so as his words were not so audible to Kitty, or anyone else for that matter. Kitty craned her neck, to try and see who it was that was the recipient to this man's tirade. Yet the cloaked man was too burly to see past, so Kitty gave up. _It __isn't my business anyway, _she scolded herself.

Filling the basket with a little more sustenance, Kitty went to seek an open register. After purchasing her food, Kitty walked out of the store carrying two bags. The rain was now coming down in torrents. Kitty watched it sullenly, standing next to her bike, allowing her arms to be weighed down by the bags she held. It was going to be a long ride bike.

"Why? Why me?" She put her head back, and whimpered ruefully.

There was a shout, and Kitty whipped ninety degrees around to face Safeway's doors. The cloaked figure, from the snack aisle breezed out of the doors, his cloak sweeping around him, giving him a sanctimonious air, a Safeway employee hurried after him.

"Lord!" the employee was saying, "please let us take care of it! It could be dangerous— umphhh…."

Kitty stared in horror as the employee fell to the ground, a knife protruding from his chest, his eyes staring unseeingly at his "lord." The cloaked figure, though, just walked on into the distance as if he hadn't just stabbed someone… _he didn't even look back… he didn't even care_. Disgust tried to keep Kitty away from the dying Safeway employee, but her conscience brought her to his side. Right now she didn't care if she got soaked or not.

"Sir—" Kitty didn't know what to do… so she did the one thing that seemed rational at the time, she called for help. "Someone, help!" She looked around the parking lot for anyone; no one was there. She fell on her knees by the writhing man, staring helplessly down at the pool of blood that was now migrating in a pool below the poor guy. She reached out a hand towards him, but thought better of it, her hand receded.

"Shhh-shhh," the Safeway man was saying, "Shhh-shhh." He coughed up blood, and then gesticulated that he wanted her to come closer so as he could whisper something to her. Kitty obliged, moving forward until his lips about touched her ear.

"He's… h-he's…" the man turned his face away and coughed up some more blood. His last words were, "2976…."

_Numbers…_ Kitty watched him take two more rattling breaths in dismay. He had given her numbers… what did they mean? They sounded so familiar…. The moment she realized, what he meant, she immediately stood. Backing away from the dead man, she turned and ran to her bike. Kitty was in such a panicked hurry, she didn't even bother about the groceries. _Please… don't let it be aunty… _The numbers… her neighborhood's code.

Shouts were now becoming audible. People were rushing out of Safeway, and surrounding the dead man— in the distance sirens could be heard, howling ominously in the day's chilly air.

Kitty pedaled even faster than she had earlier, rain pelted her face and bare calves. She cursed her luck. The gate came up quick, and Kitty saw that it was open, not even bothering to close automatically. A knot of dread formed in her throat. Nearing the gate she saw that the entry/exit pad, had been smashed and pieces of the number keys had scattered upon the road.

It took Kitty less than five minutes to reach her house from the gate, and as soon as she did— she skidded to a squeaking halt.

"Oh my god…"

Two large black vans that Kitty had never seen before in her whole life, were parked haphazardly in front of Clary's Prias; hindering a could-be escape.

Kitty thought about going to fetch help, but before she could there came a bone-chilling scream from inside of the house. Startled, Kitty hopped off her bike, dropping it where it was standing, and swiftly ran up the front porch's steps. When she reached the front door, she threw it open with a twist of the knob, and darted into the foyer.

"Aunty!" she cried. As soon as she spotted her aunt's pale profile, hot tears began to spring to her eyes. If anything happened to Clary… Kitty wouldn't have anyone left.

Potent arms without any warning, suddenly wrapped themselves around Kitty's waist. "Who is this?" the man behind Kitty inquired.

"You leave her alone!" Clary stood up from where she had been sitting on a couch, pale for some reason or other that Kitty could not fathom. A man came into Kitty's view; cloaked in the same black garb the ginger-haired man she'd seen earlier had been, yet very different. Instead of long hair, this man was bald, with intricate drawings of fierce fire-breathing serpents tattooed upon the glimmering surface. His eyes were… gold.

"Welcome, child!" he exclaimed in an overly exuberant but deep voice, "You are highly needed for this occasion. Overly kind of you to drop by!" he grinned in malice, his hands clasped behind his back, he moved forward like a prowling lion.

Kitty was struggling against her captor, but the guy had an insuperable grip on her waist. She spat upon the ground, and glared at the man coming towards her. Kitty whimpered when her captor yanked her back, and whispered an inaudible threat in her ear.

"Feed her it, Set," ordered the golden-eyed man, he turned to look into the darkest parts of the living room, and stopped his advancement upon Kitty. "She is of no use to our lord, so she is disposable."

"No!" Clary lunged forward in a feeble attempt to free her niece, but the golden-eyed man had been ready. He seized Clary around the waist, and held her back, burying his face in the crook of her neck he whispered, "Don't you want to see the effects of your pill? Your own sorcery, my darling?"

Clary's eyes widened at this, "No…" she watched as a short and stout man came into view from within the shadows in the corner and moved towards Kitty. "No…" tears ran down Clary's high-cheek bones, and _drip-dropped_ to the floor.

The golden-eyed man noticed Clary's tears, and raised his head up from the crook of her neck. Without any shame his tongue of a snake darted out, and stole two tears away. Clary gave a sound of protest, and tried to rip out of his grasp. The golden-eyed man only increased the strength of his hold.

"Aunty!" Kitty was desperately trying to elude whatever it was the short man was trying to give her.

"Open up, little lass," he growled, finally grabbing her chin in his free hand he forced one white circular pill into Kitty's mouth by force. Watching her, the small man smiled in triumph. She was their first victim— surely the effects would be gorgeous.

Kitty choked and spluttered on it, but in the end she swallowed, and began to sob. She dropped her head in defeat, her shoulders heaving up and down with every soft whimper. Was she going to die? "Aunty…" _is it just me or is everything becoming… blurry?_ Kitty began to panic, her head whipped up, her mouth was in the form of a silent "O". A tilt of Kitty's world, and Kitty knew something was abominably wrong, "Aunty!" she began to struggle against her captor in another helpless attempt to escape. She wanted Clary to make everything better for her; she wanted to get to her aunt before anything else happened that would possibly kill her.

Bad idea. It started at her legs and then inched its way up, yielding every working cell and muscle in Kitty's vulnerable body. She gasped, her last terrified view of the world before everything went black, was of her aunt rushing towards her. There was the word again 'no,' frozen on her aunt's lips, as she'd tried to reach her dear niece. But she'd been too late.

_Too late…_Kitty fell into an abyss. Darkness— nothing but darkness. There was no room for thoughts or dreams, no room for anything; Kitty was gone….

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I hope you guys liked it! My first chapter is a bit slow, but hold on a bit longer...


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Here's chapter two! A bit more going on... with Aerith and everything... but still, please tell me if she's too OOC.

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**CHAPTER TWO AERITH**

_Splish-splosh__… __splish-splosh__…. _Kitty groaned in exasperation, and rolled over. The covers on her bed felt damp… and oddly hard. _Splish-splosh__… __splish-splosh__…_ Kitty reached for her pillow— her hand met something rubbery.

Kitty opened her eyes in astonishment, and found herself gazing upon a beautiful white flower. _What…?_ She scrambled up from her spot amongst blades of grass and white and yellow buds, _where am I? _Kitty looked around; she was standing in a small plot of grass that had, a long time ago, broken up the wooden floor of the church, and grown to be a yard of blooming greenery. The church must have been a very beautiful place once upon a time, only a few windows were still in place, and of what Kitty could see, the glass was stained to depict of different holy scenes in each window.

On the opposite end of the church were a few rows of wooden pews on either side; two rows had been ruined near the entrance of the church, having been turned over by some anonymous force. Above Kitty where the roof had been, was a gaping hole. Here was where the first few rain drops from the charcoal sky, were let through. _Splish-splosh__… __splish-splosh__…. _Kitty back-pedaled to get out of the way of the rain, she bit her lip in order to stifle a whimper. _How did I get here? _

Racking her brains to remember, Kitty's eyes widened. That pill! Was she in heaven…? Kitty looked around at the capacious church— it didn't look like heaven…. "Where am I?" she whispered. Her voice echoed with the increased volume of the rain pitter-pattering down upon different segments of the church's floor. "Where am I…?" she repeated again, in an even softer voice before crumpling to the ground, and burying her head in her hands. Everything was wrong, now… everything was ruined.

A feather light touch to Kitty's shoulder startled her from her desolate state. Kitty looked up to find a gorgeous young woman standing before her, clad in a flattering pink dress that flowed about her calves. The woman was smiling a gentle but sad smile.

"Are you my angel?" Kitty asked the woman in apprehension.

The woman only shook her head lightly, a thick auburn plait swinging behind her along with the motion. "No," she laughed. Her voice was as sweet as honey, reminding Kitty— with a pang— of her aunt, Clary.

"Then who are you? And- and where am I?"

The woman kneeled down in front of Kitty, "My name is Aerith, I am the guardian of this church…" she said, "and you are in Midgar."

"Midgar?" Kitty's eyebrows furrowed, she'd never heard of such a place in her whole life… she glance over at the garden that she'd been lying in only moments before, it looked so out of place— as if it were a massive plague of dazzling weeds that had cracked through the wood long ago. "Did you plant them?" Kitty motioned to the garden, and looked over at the woman.

They locked gazes, and Kitty noted with embarrassment, that while she had been looking over at the garden, Aerith had been examining _her_. Aerith had emerald eyes with specks of gold glistening in them; they were benign eyes— two orbs of gentle gracefulness and age-old intelligence.

"Yes, do you like them?" Aerith smiled knowingly at Kitty.

Kitty nodded hesitantly, not sure how to react around this elegant woman.

"I'm glad…" Aerith looked over at her garden, "they were meant to make this place a safe haven… I wanted it to look welcoming…. I wanted to leave a part of me here," she turned back to smile once again at Kitty; gentle and melancholy.

"Do you live here?" Kitty asked in curiosity.

"No, far from it."

"Oh…" Kitty felt awkward under Aerith's gaze, "do you know where I might find a phone?"

Aerith looked sympathetic, "There aren't any phones around for miles," she answered.

Kitty was confused. "How can there be no phones?" Kitty stood up, "Excuse me… ummm… I really need to alert the police. My aunt's in trouble— if I don't get to her…" Kitty's lip trembled, and a thick knot formed in her throat. It hurt when she tried to swallow the knot. "If I don't get to her… she might die."

Aerith stood up too, and reached out a hand to caress Kitty's cheek, "There's no way of getting to her now, sweetheart, you swallowed a pill, remember?"

Kitty's eyes widened, "How did you know? Were you watching that whole time? Why didn't you stop them? Why didn't you help?" Kitty's eyes filled with tears that slipped down her cheeks in iridescent trails. "Where am I, really? Tell me!" Kitty ripped away from Aerith's reach, running to a far corner of the church before turning around and glaring at the woman.

Aerith stood there, her hand falling to her side; lifeless. She didn't even turn to acknowledge Kitty's enraged glare. "You're in Midgar, Kitty, a place of destruction. You're no longer on earth… try to understand that I'm only trying to help you."

"You're lying!" Kitty started to sob, she tried to stifle the noise with her hands, but she only crumpled to the ground in weakness. How long had lain there in the garden? Her stomach rumbled of hunger.

"Kitty…" Aerith was walking tentatively over to her.

"How do you know my name? How can this not be earth?" Kitty looked up; her face was damp and red.

"Kitty…" Aerith once again kneeled by Kitty, and pulled from a pocket, in her cherry denim jacket, a handkerchief, "you need to calm down. Here wipe away your tears, first." Aerith pulled Kitty's hands away from her face, and placed the handkerchief in Kitty's right hand.

"I can't—" here Kitty hiccupped, "calm—" hiccup, "down." She brought her left hand up to stifle her hiccups in misery.

"Yes you can… just breath in and out deeply," Aerith advised in a soothing voice. Seeing that Kitty was too weak to even make a sweeping motion with her hand, Aerith took the handkerchief herself, and began to wipe Kitty's face for her.

Kitty really tried to breathe in and out deeply— she really did— but the tears wouldn't stop coming, and the sobs wouldn't stop racking her body. Aerith finished cleaning the tears away from Kitty's cheeks, and began to shush her.

"Shhh… shhh…" Aerith murmured. Then she pulled Kitty in to a soothing embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around Kitty's fragile body, and rubbed her back in a calming motion over and over again. "Shhh…" Aerith rocked Kitty back and forth, trying to lull her out of her despair.

Kitty's sobs were becoming less and less as the minutes ticked away, until there was nothing left but sporadic hiccups mingling with the increased sound of the pouring rain.

"That's a girl!" Aerith exclaimed affectionately in a high whisper.

Kitty shook her head, "Why are you being so kind to me?" she wiped away the last of her tears, and breathed in deeply, strength had returned to her— but not all of it.

"It's my nature," Aerith pulled Kitty up by the hands, and started to walk away.

"W-where are you going?!" Kitty panicked, she didn't want to be left alone in such an unknown environment. "Wait!" Kitty ran after Aerith, ignoring her body's protest to be moving so quickly at such short notice.

Aerith stopped, and looked back at Kitty; she smiled as soon as the girl reached her. "I'm going to go get you some food— but you cannot come with me. Stay here and I'll be back soon."

"But…" Kitty looked away, and nodded. She had been about to say she didn't want to be left alone, but Kitty didn't think that Aerith would care either way. "Okay… I'll stay," Kitty retreated back into the church, watching Aerith disappear out the entrance. Looking to the right, Kitty decided to lay down on a pew, and rest. It wasn't so comfortable being made out of wood and all, but Kitty was exhausted beyond belief, so she immediately wiped out.

_Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…. _Kitty woke up to the sound of heavy rain. She sat up, and looked around for any sign of Aerith, but there was none. Kitty tentatively stood up, and looked over at the entrance of the church. The outside world was becoming dark, and from this, Kitty could tell that it was early evening. _Where is she? _Kitty stood there still as a statue, pondering on whether or not she should leave the church against Aerith's wishes. Her stomach grumbled, and Kitty placed a hand upon it.

After a few more moments, Kitty decided to risk it, to get herself some food. Clearly Aerith wasn't coming back…. The wooden floorboards creaked under Kitty's weight, as she walked away from the pews and towards the entrance, but Kitty didn't mind the noise. She was, in fact, used to it. Nearing the entrance, Kitty could see that the rain wasn't going to be stopping any time soon. By the look of the dense clouds it looked like the rain would be continuing on until late evening.

"Oh well," Kitty sighed, and took one step out of the church, then two, and after two she ran down some sweeping stairs into a vacant street. Rain pelted Kitty's face, reminding Kitty of her bike ride… and of her aunt. But Kitty's despondent thoughts were immediately stifled, when she saw the city that awaited her. Like the church, the city was in tatters. Midgar was nothing more than broken buildings, gray streets, and debris. What had happened? If Kitty really wasn't on earth anymore, then how had she gotten here? Had the pill transported her to Midgar; to a new vacant world? Kitty felt nauseous, and small, compared to the huge broken buildings that loomed over her.

"Aerith!" Kitty called into the gloom, "Where are you, Aerith?!" There was something about Midgar that made Kitty feel like she was being watched… that made her feel unsafe. For surely Kitty did not want to spend the night by herself wandering the streets aimlessly until dawn. No that just wouldn't do.

"Aerith!" Kitty called again, she clutched at the collar of her— now— soggy jacket. Sighing, Kitty decided that she would look for some food and head back to the church before it got too dark. With a twinge of realization, Kitty noted that there were no lights turning on in the streets— so did that mean that Kitty would be sleeping in pitch darkness? _Focus on one thing for now_, Kitty thought to herself trying to calm down. _But I don't know how to start a fire— focus! _

Kitty walked down the street, picking her way over some jumbled hills of debris in some spots, and then looking down alleys here and there for any sign of Aerith. But she found no one and nothing for miles. About to turn back around to head back to the church, Kitty detected a flicker of movement in an alleyway to her left.

Uncertainly, Kitty began to walk her way over to the alley. In the gloom, Kitty could just barely make out a shape lying on the ground— a human… She walked towards the shape and bent down next to it….

"Hello…?" Kitty reached out a tentative hand and touched the human's cheek. As soon as she did, Kitty pulled her hand back; the skin had been cold, cold as metal. Kitty squinted, and could make out long silvery-white hair in the darkness. Was the human a _she_?

_Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…._There was another flicker of movement in the air in front of Kitty, and something fell to the ground— something heavy. Kitty's heart skipped a beat, and she stood up wicked fast. "W-who's there?" she stammered.

Nothing. _Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…. _Another movement, this time it was the human that Kitty had been kneeling next to, who moved. Something flashed in the darkness… Kitty's eyes located the flash in a second. It was a chocolate bar wrapped in a white wrapper that had fallen from the human's pocket. Kitty's hunger got the better of her, and she stooped to pick it up. But before she stood, there came another loud sound in the darkness— Kitty jumped, and then turned and ran. Adrenaline pumped in her veins, and moved her fast, even in her weakened state. But she hadn't left the alley fast enough to go unnoticed by one pair of narrowed icy blue eyes.

_**Has she met them yet?**_

_**Yes… I made sure that she would be curious of the outside world, before I left….**_

_**Do you really think that they will believe you once you tell them? **_

_**They'll have to… she is the key to the planet's survival... **_

Kitty was running so fast on adrenaline that she didn't even stop until after she reached the steps of the church. She had made it in mere minutes, before the night's murk had completely crept over the sky and city. Stumbling weakly into the church, clutching the chocolate bar to her chest, Kitty slid in between two pews so as she would be hidden from some deviant person's view.

Unwrapping the chocolate bar in haste, Kitty took a huge bite out of it. She was rewarded with a rich and bitter taste; dark chocolate— Kitty's favorite kind. Within seconds, Kitty had finished the six inch bar, and had then curled up on her side upon the hard wooden floor. She fell asleep almost instantly.

_Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…._

Then an enraged scream sounded through the night.

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Thank you for reading!! I will hopefully get the third chapter up by tomorrow, or later in the evening. 


	3. Chapter Three: Cat and Mouse

Author's Note: Sorry about not being able to update last night! I had applications to finish, and yada-yada-yada... Anyway I want to thank my first reviewer for-- well-- reviewing! Thank you Digimon Empress Yaten! Your review was really inspiring! Okay... that sounded cheesy, but it was. On a different note, here is my third chapter!

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**CHAPTER THREE: ****CAT AND MOUSE**

_A giggle… "You can't catch me!" A glance over the bridge… roots spiraling down to the clouds down below…. A boy comes into view. _

_A cry, "Katarina! No!" _

_Falling… falling… down to the earth below. _

Kitty wakes up with a jerk, and then jumps ten feet up into the air.

"Ah, you're awake! I was wondering when you'd wake up," a handsome young man sat scrambling something in a pan above a fire near where Kitty had been resting. "I'm making some scrambled eggs, if you want some," he told Kitty jovially.

Kitty was up against the church wall, watching him with wide eyes. He was clad in something like armor, and there was an immense buster sword lying beside him. "W-who are you?" she inquired.

"Name's, Zack," he winked at her. His eyes were a peculiar, yet beautiful, periwinkle blue. "And your name is Kitty."

"Yeah… it is," Kitty decided that if Zack had wanted to hurt her, then he would have done so while she'd been fast asleep, she began to ease towards him. "Did Aerith tell you my name?"

Zack looked up at her, as she came to sit next to him, "I have my sources," he looked back down at his handy work. The eggs were fairly close to being done.

"Did Aerith send you?" Kitty tried again, hoping to get a better answer. She watched as Zack pulled the pan out of the reach of the flames, and put the spatula that he had been using down on the ground. With care, Zack divided the portion of scramble eggs onto two plates; he ignored her question.

Kitty's stomach grumbled, and she swallowed. Her throat was in dire need of water, yet her stomach was in even more dire need of food. "D-do you have water?" Kitty asked Zack in a timid voice.

He looked up at this, "Do you always have so many questions?" he shot back with a twitch of a smirk playing on his lips.

"I-I wasn't…."

Zack began to laugh; his laugh was deep and throaty, but warm and welcoming. "You know, kid," he said, "I like you. Here," he turned to a small knap-sack laying next to him, and rummaged through it. After a few seconds, he pulled out a water canteen, "Drink this, it'll give you back your strength."

"Thanks," Kitty whispered, she seized the canteen he handed to her with care, and popped the cap open. She then tipped her head back and drank deeply. The liquid was like some type of soupy broth. Kitty almost choked on it, the first few sips, but she didn't spit it back out. A wave of warm strength swept over Kitty, and Kitty's senses became even more alert than they'd been before.

"Better?" Zack watched her with an unreadable expression.

Kitty nodded and handed him back his canteen.

"Here eat, and I'll explain about my being here," Zack handed Kitty one of the plates of scrambled eggs, and a fork that he had conjured up from his knap-sack.

"Thanks," Kitty whispered receiving her breakfast gingerly.

"No problem, kid," Zack watched her as she dug in ravenously, and smiled. He had never seen someone look so avid and appreciative, digging into his own hand-_cooked_ grub.

"Okay, Kitty," Zack spoke up after a while, "you should know that you cannot stay here by yourself for much longer. There's something…" Zack looked down at the ground in consideration.

Kitty looked up at him, swallowing the last morsel of eggs on her plate. She felt panic rise up in her stomach once again; a bubbly sensation of fear that she did not understand.

Coming to a conclusion, Zack locked gazes with her, and continued on. "There's something _B__ad_… coming, and we need to be as far away from Midgar as we can get… do you understand?"

Kitty didn't understand. "Am I the cause… of this _Bad_ thing?" Kitty imitated the way Zack had said "bad," with her own emphasis. "Please answer… I really want to know." Kitty blushed, suddenly she felt like a stupid little child whining over a toy.

Zack gazed searchingly into her eyes.

"Zack?" his name was foreign sounding on her tongue.

He looked away from her and smirked, "Come on kid, eat some more eggs, and then we need to leave," Zack pushed the second plate of scrambled eggs towards her. "I need to get you to Seventh Heaven before the second storm rolls in. We have some really bad storms here, you know," Zack stood up and took out his canteen from the knap-sack, "if I have any say on what we do, I'd say we leave right now." Kitty watched as Zack tipped the contents of the canteen out onto the fire, and the small inferno sizzled out.

"Seventh Heaven?" Kitty's brows furrowed in confusion, she was still staring at the place where the fire had been. A burnt up piece of wood, looking oddly like the pieces of wood used for the pews, lay smoldering in the ashes.

"Yep! It's the only safe haven on this planet left for people like you," Zack replied.

_People like me…? _Kitty wondered what Zack had meant, but she didn't ask…. He was too elusive with his answers. Silently she delved into her second plate of eggs, and once finished, pushed it away from herself. "I'm done," she whispered, "thank you."

"No problem, now come on. Up you go," Zack held out a helping hand, and Kitty reluctantly took it. He swiftly hoisted her up, without any effort on his part, and planted her on her feet.

By the time Kitty and Zack were out of the church and trekking down Midgar's streets, it had taken long enough for Kitty to ask Zack why they were leaving his knap-sack back at the church. Zack had surprisingly answered, telling her that they didn't need to be hindered by such cheap material, and that she should mind her own business. Kitty had immediately shut her mouth after that. Zack had this 'no nonsense' air about him that left her wondering what to say and what not to say. Perhaps it was the immense sword he carried upon his back, or perhaps it was the way Zack carried himself— whatever it was Kitty had developed, in no less than an hour, a deep respect for him.

Kitty gazed up into the sky. The sun was shining high above the rooftops, but in the in the distance south of Midgar rumbling Columbus clouds could be spotted, rolling ominously towards them. The wind in Midgar was slight, but it was enough to ruffle Zack and Kitty's hair; long deserted garbage scuttled helplessly across the pavements.

Zack took long strides, while Kitty had to take two steps in order to catch up to him. As soon as Kitty began to lag behind, she'd have to jog to catch up to Zack.

"Can you please, slow down?" Kitty asked Zack breathlessly, coming up beside him jogging, after another involuntary lag-behind.

Zack glanced at her, and then sighed. He decreased his stride so as Kitty didn't have to jog to keep pace with his gait. "How old are you, kid?"

Kitty was startled at his question, but nevertheless she answered his question, "I'm f-fourteen, why?"

"You're short," he said bluntly not even bothering to glance at her.

"Yeah…" Kitty kicked an empty soda can lying in her path, "I've noticed that…." Kitty didn't like to be reckoned by her size, it always left her feeling small and uncertain of herself. She felt like a broken-tipped color pencil amongst sharpened color pencils. _If you know what I mean_… she mused to herself in despondency. She was too short for her age… too short— there was nothing good about being short….

Zack noticed her glum state, and smirked, "I wasn't trying to dampen your spirits, kid. I was just pointing out the truth; for a fourteen year old you are short," he watched her eyes narrow as she kicked some other pieces of garbage in her path, and stopped.

As soon as Kitty noticed that he wasn't walking anymore she halted in her tracks also, and looked back at him.

"Are you ashamed by your size?" he asked her. His long spiky brown hair frolicked with the breeze, casting shadows over his distinguished face. As Kitty gazed at him, she noticed the form of a frown touching his lips, the way her aunt, Clary would frown when thinking of a past wrong-doing.

Becoming saddened at the reflection of Clary, Kitty looked modestly down at her feet. "I wish I were tall," she whispered.

Zack was now scowling at her, his eyes lost their twinkle. "Don't. Be happy with who you are. I learned to be happy with who I am, and Aerith has learned to be happy with who she is. You're a good kid… you should not be spending your whole life wishing you were taller."

Kitty was left to regard Zack in a new light. Ever since she had woken up to be surprised by his presence to walking down Midgar's streets, Zack had been something of a jovial yet irritating presence. Now he was acting as if he was some kind of role-model… he'd just told her to be happy with whom she was. No one had ever told her to be happy with whom she was, besides Clary, her aunt. Who did Zack think he was?

Zack sighed… "Sorry about that, kid. Let's just keep on walking, it's a long way to Seventh Heaven… and I would like to be there by at least tomorrow afternoon."

_**Tomorrow afternoon….**__** By tomorrow afternoon… it'll be here….**_

The streets were still damp from yesterday's rain. Kitty and Zack wandered around immense hills of jumbled debris, and sporadic puddles of rain water that had not yet evaporated with the heat of the sun's rays.

As the pair past an alleyway, Kitty's breath hitched in her throat. She recalled the night before… a body lying on the ground. _She or he…?_ Kitty had not been able to tell. She remembered the terror of hearing two heavy things plop to the ground somewhere deep in the alley. _What could they have been? _"Do people still live here? In Midgar— I mean…" Kitty asked Zack. She hugged herself tightly, rubbing her arms as goose bumps started to form. The breeze was picking up, at first it had been subtle, but then it had started to pick up a notch.

Zack glanced back at her from his lead, "No, why?"

Kitty shrugged, "I… saw someone last night."

"Oh really," Zack slowed down his gait again to walk side-by-side with Kitty, "do tell me what this person looked like," Zack implored of her.

"It was dark," Kitty brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, "I… I only saw long silvery hair— I guess that it was a 'her,' but I'm not sure…." Kitty recalled the chocolate bar— how good it had been— and how it had fallen out of the person's pocket at such a coincidentally… _needy_ time.

Zack was tense next to Kitty, "Silver hair?"

Kitty nodded making Zack scowl as he silently seethed to himself. _Traitor… he was a traitor…. _Zack's eyes suddenly went wide; he shimmered slightly, making Kitty give a jump.

"Zack what's—?"

Zack held out a hand to silence her, he then halted in his tracks and breathed in deeply. He could feel it calling to him… yet he couldn't go. No. Aerith would kill him if he left Kitty unsupervised.

Zack was now fading in and out of focus, scaring Kitty speechless. Was he going to disappear on her too, just like Aerith had? _What if this is me? What if I'm doing this? _Kitty didn't understand only moments ago Zack had been fine.

"Zack! What's going on?!" Kitty eyes were wide. She had her arms crossed over her chest, upset and closed off from everything else.

"Damn kid! Just shut up will you? Can't you see that I'm trying to calm down here?!" Zack's eyes flew open in animosity. He himself was panicking. _She had told me this wouldn't happen…._

Kitty backed away from Zack. She hated when people yelled at her. She bumped against something hard….

"What the—?" Kitty jumped out of the way of whatever she had bumped into, and turned around. "Who are you? Zac—!"

Kitty barely had any time to gaze upon the deviant man's visage before he lunged at her, and smothered her mouth with his cold hand. _Cold… cold like metal. _He purred gently in her ear, "Be quiet. You don't want to die, do you?"

Kitty's eyes widened, she struggled— as was her instinct— against the man. But she immediately found that she had no room to struggle in her captor's steely clasp. He was all muscle…. Kitty breathed heavily through her nose, flailing her legs uselessly, until she just gave up and fell limp in the man's arms.

"Oh little, brother!" Kitty's captor called out, he turned around with Kitty dangling two feet off of the ground.

"What is it Loz? Have you caught the little brat who stole my candy?" a nimble alabaster-skinned youth came forth through an alleyway. He had long unevenly-cut silver hair that fell to his shoulders, and— to Kitty— just plain out creepy topaz blue eyes. The moment he set his bizarre eyes on her, he sneered, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Well, Loz, what do we have here? A little mouse caught in our trap?" the man moved languidly towards her, making his strides painfully slow and devious.

As soon as he reached her he peered intensely at her, strands of his uncanny hair falling over one side of his face. Swift as a snake, his hand shot out and slapped her atrociously across the face, leaving a large red spot where he had smacked her. "Where's my candy bar?" he asked her in a sickly sweet yet deadly low voice.

Kitty's face snapped to the side at the force of the slap, she gasped audibly. _I ate it! _She wanted to spit these words out in his face. It would be payback for him smacking her so hard on the cheek, but Kitty wasn't even being allowed wind passage through her chapped lips…. On the top of Kitty's agenda, she figured, should be figuring out a way to escape— not a way to get payback. But Loz, her captor, was made out of steel…. How was she to escape steel? Kitty had no inkling whatsoever.

"Well," the young man before Kitty drew her attention back to him. She glared, and he gave her an equally irritated look—perhaps an even deadlier glare than her own. "I asked you where my candy bar was… so where is it?"

Kitty kept her mouth shut. _Whatever I say will be held against me… _sometimes Kitty said impulsive things that she'd always regret on the long run later on. She decided that in a life-threatening situation such as this, maybe it was better that this man— Loz or whoever he was holding her back from lunging at the young man before her— was both holding her still and keeping her from saying such irrational things.

"Well? Loz, you fool, take your hand off of her mouth! How do you expect her to answer, when you're practically smothering her whole air supply?"

Immediately the hand receded, leaving Kitty dangling vulnerably above the ground, with nothing to hold back the vile words ready to exude from her lips. Kitty gulped. _Don't speak… don't say a word…. _

_"_Are you deaf? I just asked you a question, bitch!" the young man swore at her.

"Are you emo, or something?" Kitty shot back in a mumble, her eyes gazing past his shoulder.

The teenager smirked, "Ah… she speaks! Not a very good come-backer, though, are you?" he reached out and gripped Kitty's chin in his glove-clad hand. "Tell me, where is my candy bar?"

"What's so special about one candy bar?" Kitty tried to tug her chin out of this man's grasp, and wondered where Zack was. _Help me… I'm falling… plummeting out of the sky…. _"Let go of me!" Kitty hissed, once she noted how strong of a hold the teenager had on her chin.

A suffocating squeeze around her abdomen later, Kitty was left in even more fear than before. Loz— if she'd heard his name right— had enough strength to break all of the bones in her body with just one strong squeeze… well at least that's how she calculated it after what he had just done.

"Thank you, dearest brother," the teenager before Kitty drawled, then turning his attention back to Kitty he said, "you see— little girl— if you don't give me back that candy bar in a few seconds, I won't hesitate to kill you. And trust me when I say I _won't," _here he smirked deviously, "because I won't."

Now Kitty was really wishing more than ever, that she hadn't picked up that _stupid_— _**repulsive**_ candy bar in the first place. Perhaps then she wouldn't be stuck in such a predicament as she was in now. _Then the cat narrows its eyes, and __assertively __goes in for its kill…._

"You know, _girl,"_ the young man said the word 'girl' as if it were the vilest thing, ever, to touch his tongue, "your time is up. You either have the candy bar or don't… I'm still going to kill you. So whatever your last words are, you better say them, because believe me— they _will _be the last."

"N-no! Wait!" Kitty's mind was whirling on swift kinetic adrenaline, she needed to think of something quick, or else! "Uh… the chocolate bar… i-it's with the man who I was traveling with!" she cried. _The mouse lunges for a nearby hole, and cowers inside of it. _

"Little girl… little girl, how is that going to help us?" the teenager had, in the last minute or so that Kitty had been pondering on a way to save her life, taken out a double-bladed cutlass-like sword. Now, he was holding it out, examining it as if it were his "precious."

"He's my f-father! And he'll do a-anything to keep me alive," Kitty defended herself. She spoke so hurriedly that the nimble youth before Kitty rose one long and defined eyebrow in suspicion.

"How so?"

"He'll come and get me— y-you'll see! And he'll exchange me for that candy bar…. I swear to you that he'll come!" Kitty cried.

Loz's grip on the small fragile girl loosened slightly as his younger brother gave him a slight nod. But Loz did not release her. Although Loz knew that he could easily outrun the girl, if he set her free, he also knew that such a game— after such confusing events— would not exactly be a bright idea on his part.

"Fine, little girl…. We'll keep you alive. But only for a day, after that— if your _father_ still hasn't come to fetch you— I, myself, will kill you. Is that clear?" the nimble youth, leaned in close to her face so as she could feel his cold breath against her skin. _Cold… not hot…._

Kitty nodded her face pale.

"Good. Loz tie her up, and Yazoo,"— here Kitty was startled to see a figure leap from the roof of a building above, with cat-like grace, dropping to the ground soundlessly on his feet; crouched— "search the area for a man with armor, brown hair, and a sword like Big Brother's, he couldn't have gotten far. But then again… Loz says that he was fading as if the Lifestream were calling to him… hmmmmm… strange" the teenager looked over at Kitty, and gave her a scrutinizing look, "Perhaps this girl's father might be of more worth to us then the candy bar…."

Kitty was becoming even more confused than when she had first woken up in the church these men communicate through telepathy? Kitty hadn't heard Loz physically say anything since his threat earlier. A few days ago, Kitty would have scoffed at the very idea of telepathy and other supernatural things— but after the whole 'transportation' thing, Kitty wasn't so sure anymore… anything could happen here, in Midgar.

Anything….

**_I think it's time._**

**_I agree… I will try to be as convincing as I can. _**

**_Good. I'll be watching. _**

**_I know…. She is the key… our last hope of keeping the Planet at peace. If she is disposed of then the Planet is doomed. _**

_**Then you know what measures**** we have**** to take to ensure her safety?**_

_**Yes…**** But I also**** know how passionate the brother's are about protecting the one thing that is important to them…. I will have to twist some strings… but I believe they'll soon believe me. Their fighting skills are excellent I have no doubt that they'll be able to protect her…. She's a sweet girl anyway. **_

**_Good…. I do not regret moving them from the Lifestream… but they will have to show that they are worthy protectors. _**

**_Believe me, they are. One way or another, they'll listen._**

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Thanks for reading! I've already started my fourth chapter, so that should be up and running hopefully by tomorrow or deffinitely by Friday. 


	4. Chapter 4 The Vessel

Author's Note: Okay I stayed up a bit late last night, hoping to get this in by then, but my stupid password wouldn't log me on. So I'm sorry that I couldn't get chapter four in sooner. Anyway I need to go eat breakfast! Have a wonderful school day all of you... 'cause mine's going to suck. Oh, and sorry if there are any mistakes in this chapter... I tried my hardest to go over it and read and reread.

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**CHAPTER FOUR: THE VESSEL**

_**Let's pretend**__** she is their mother's vessel… pretend… pretend… pretend… **_

_****_

The way Loz tied Kitty up, and then plopped her down by a pile of rubble, was profane. Kitty closed her eyes in restrained anger— _where are you Zack? Please… come… I need you. _Kitty looked up into the darkening sky. After what Zack had said about Midgar's storms, Kitty was certain that she didn't want to be stuck in one.

The sound of the three brother's voices alerted Kitty to their uncanny presence, they were somewhere close by. But where, Kitty wasn't sure. The three of them were almost… not human. Their silvery hair, alike features, bizarre abilities, cold skin, cold breath, and eerie cat-like eyes made them something else entirely. Kitty felt dread building up in her stomach. _What have I done? _

"Mother, where are you?" came Kadaj's voice. He sounded as if he were calling out for a long lost pet that had run off, and still hadn't come back.

_Mother…?_

"She's gone, little brother. Face it, she left us. We failed her," came Yazoo's impassive voice.

There was a whimper, and then a low audible wail. "Mother…"

"Stop your crying, Loz," Kadaj's raised voice startled Kitty, she jumped. Her eyes were wide, as she listened in more avidly on what the brothers were saying.

"I'm sorry, little brother. But… what's a life without Mother? What is the point of living, now that she is gone?" Loz sniffled.

_That was… dramatic…_ Kitty mused to herself.

There was silence on Kitty's end as the three brothers bowed their heads. There was no more pain; not a single presence of Mother lingered in the midst of their bodies; there was not a single word of anger or honey-sweet appraisal… everything was silent for the first time since their birth.

Suddenly, Kadaj let out an agonized scream. "Why, Mother?! After all that I did for you, and you still pick him over me!" There was a loud smash— Kitty's eyes widened even more at this, she shook with fear, the sound had been vociferous— then a shuffle of feet, and Kadaj's voice again, "Yazoo… she told me that I was… her favorite… now what?" Kadaj said this so quietly that Kitty couldn't believe she had heard it._ Something's happening to my senses…_

"Shhhhh… we'll find her again, I promise."

Was Yazoo soothing his brother? Kitty hissed, when an excruciating flash of pain seized her, and racked her head. A headache. But something told Kitty that it was much more than just one of her normal weekend headaches. Kitty moaned, and bent forward.

The three brothers came into sight. Kadaj's eyes narrowed as soon as he saw Kitty. He wondered why she was bending forward, as if about to throw up, but did not ask. Humans were a waist of precious time.

"Loz, take her with you. Make sure that she isn't able to talk, and make _positively _sure that she has no way of breaking out of those ropes."

Loz advanced towards, Kitty. She gave him a scowl, and hissed when another spasm of pain shot through her head.

At the hiss, Loz narrowed his eyes, "You ungrateful little human," Loz growled at her, "Why, if it weren't for Kadaj, I would kill you right now."

"Loz," Yazoo warned from where he stood next to Kadaj. "She's bait."

"Still, she's an ungrateful brat," Loz spat, as he towered above her.

Kitty averted her gaze so as she could gaze upon her feet. The ground underneath Kitty was wet, and Kitty shifted uncomfortably above it. She could feel the brother's gazes beating down upon her, from where each of them stood; she wondered what they were thinking. Perhaps they were wondering what Kitty would look like without a head… or what she would look like with deep puncture wounds from a particularly sharp double-bladed sword.

"Nothing to say?" Loz spoke up after a while, "well then good. Let's go."

Thunder rumbled over head. The clouds had finally caught up, and the wind was now howling in Kitty's ears. She whimpered when Loz picked her up— bridal style— and began to walk over to his brothers. Kitty stayed tense in his arms. She knew that if she rested her head against Loz's chest then she wouldn't be able to stay awake… and if she couldn't stay awake, then who knew what the brothers would do to her. Yet the headache she was currently experiencing was making her tired as heck. _I cannot fall asleep….__ I cannot fall asleep…_ she repeated over and over in her head; her mantra. But it was failing as the seconds ticked away.

"There's a village close by, if I recall," Kadaj looked towards the immense city walls, "there we can get some supplies, and maybe find a few useful vehicles."

Yazoo , who had been staring off into space only moments before, awoke from his reverie and murmured, "We'll have to be careful, though, we do not need to attract unwanted attention."

Kadaj nodded his head, and Loz only twitched slightly in acknowledgement. Kitty noticed that Loz couldn't even stay still for one second. They began to set forth.

The walk in between mountains of rubble, and through the thick walls of Midgar, left Kitty fast asleep against Loz's chest. She hadn't meant for it to happen, but the pain had been way too intense, and she had been atrociously fatigued.

Kadaj noticed this and smirked. "She's quite a weakling."

"Takes one to know one, little brother," Yazoo glanced sideways, and smirked at Kadaj's irate expression.

They were now walking amongst sand dunes and large sun-tanned rocks. In the distance to the east were lofty cliffs; to the west and north was nothing but miles and miles of arid desert. They headed west.

Sand slithered around them. _Hiss… hiss… hiss…. _The noon soon turned into late afternoon, and late afternoon soon evolved into early evening. The sun had set. Around seven at night they arrived at the entrance of a bustling village in the middle of nowhere, and immediately obscured themselves in the foliage of shadows.

Once sure that no one had seen them coming, Kadaj turned to his two brothers, "Yazoo go and find three pairs of cloaks. Loz and I will wait here with the girl. Be quick and don't let anyone see you long enough to recognize you." Kadaj turned slightly so as his back was facing his brothers. From this position he could see who came and went through the village entrance.

Yazoo smirked, his trademark smirk, "I'll be as fast as a cat," Yazoo's gaze fell on Kitty soon after he said this, and his expression changed from a smirk to something likened to surprise. He didn't say anything out loud about it to his brothers; he merely had to look at Loz and Kadaj. Almost immediately Kadaj and Loz knew what he was inquiring after.

"How could she be in relation to us, Yazoo? She's a human weakling," Kadaj drawled in a bored manner, as if they'd been down the same road before. Then, as if Yazoo had said something offending, Kadaj's eyes flashed and he turned on his brother— swift as a snake poised to bite— he hissed, "How can you insult Mother like that? How can you give this child here any credit?"

Yazoo's eyebrows rose, his eyes flashed dangerously. "I saw what I saw," he then glanced back over his shoulder at Loz. Loz, having most unceremoniously dropped the girl to the sand, was watching them uncertain whether or not he should interpose with their argument.

Kadaj looked over at Loz too, his eyes softened slightly, "Forget it, Yazoo."

Yazoo let it be, and slipped away only to disappear in the midst of a crowd of people entering the village. It took him only thirty minutes, until he returned with three dark hooded cloaks.

Kadaj smirked, and held out a hand for his cloak. Yazoo handed it to him frostily, turned and gave Loz his cloak, then donned his own.

"What about the girl?" Loz turned to her, once he was fully concealed from view, narrowing his eyes as if calculating her size.

"We'll have to untie her, and then wake her up. I think a hotel room would be the best thing for us tonight," Kadaj looked over at Yazoo.

As usual Yazoo was staring off into space, but once he felt his brother's intense gaze upon him, he came back to earth. "What?"

"It's your turn to take care of the girl. Like I said, you'll need to untie her and then wake her up," Kadaj repeated himself in tediousness.

Without a word, Yazoo made his way over to Kitty, and bent before her. He roughly began to untie her and then threw the rope at some bushes to the left. He then took to shaking her like a rag doll, "Wake up, human."

Kitty's eyes flew open. _A spark of __mako__… a speck of silver strands… _

Yazoo flew backwards, his eyes wide with rare emotion. He had thought that, after he and his brother's had failed Mother, there would be no more siblings… no more mako… no more geostigma. Nothing left of mother… but an empty box lying somewhere still in Midgar. Gone….

Both Kadaj and Loz had seen what had happened when Kitty had opened her eyes. They both reflexively placed their hands on their weapons and waited for her to make a move— anything that would alert them of a surprise attack.

"What?" Kitty asked in confusion. She had no earthly idea what was going on.

_**Oh but she will learn in time… **_

"Who are you?" Kadaj kept a safe distance away from her, a look identical to the expression his brother, Yazoo wore. Surprise.

"None of your business," Kitty had just awoken from an eloquent dream of walking through an everlasting field of white and yellow flowers. She'd seen someone in the distance… a slender figure… _Clary?_ She had started to run in her dream. The sun beating down upon her voices whispering… all of these aspects had been a part of her dream.

_**No Katarina… no she is dangerous… Katarina! **_

As Kitty bounded towards the anonymous figure, there had come a lurch in the ground underneath Kitty's feet, and suddenly the ground had opened up. Kitty was sucked down; she'd fallen through an endless cyclone of roots until she was suddenly amongst… clouds.

_Falling… falling… falling… always, __falling. Everything is__ white. _

Now, staring up at the three men, Kitty was filled with a profound feeling of hopelessness. She didn't belong here… she belonged on earth with her aunt.

_**I highly contradict that…**__** time to take action. Forgive me Kitty…**_

"Who are you?!" Kadaj shot forward in a flash of speed, he had her by her neck and pinned against the surface of the village wall. Kitty could tell that he wasn't used to being disobeyed. Nevertheless, Kitty would rather keep her life, than lose it trying to keep her name from Kadaj.

"I'm—" Kitty's eyes widened, her heart missed a beat. Something was lurching inside of her, something sickening and not part of her. A shock of great pain erupted through Kitty's whole body, her mouth opened in a silent scream.

Immediately Yazoo set forward, "Let go of her, Kadaj!" Yazoo ordered in a panic. He recognized what was happening; it was the same thing that had happened the first time that Jenova had spoken through Kadaj. "I said let go of her!" Yazoo yanked Kadaj up by the shoulders, and Loz pulled Kadaj's hands from the Kitty's throat.

Kitty fell forward on her hands and knees, coughing up some blood. The pain increased tenfold and she let out a tormented scream. Something was fighting to take over her body… something terribly powerful.

Yazoo, watched in awe. Mother had found them in the form of a girl; she really had cared enough for them, to have transferred herself to the appearance of a pathetic girl. He glanced over at Kadaj who was watching with fear written plainly across his face. Yazoo remembered that blood had not been a part of Kadaj's whole ritual.

Kadaj walked forward and fell to his knees in front of the girl, he put a hand on Kitty's back, "Shhhh… don't fight her…," he whispered.

Kitty began to sob; it hurt so much. She had so many questions; she couldn't just let someone take her over without answers.

"Just let her through," Kadaj soothed. His voice wasn't deadly sweet, or smug, it wasn't sarcastic or apathetic… it was actually… reassuring. "Just let yourself go. It will all be over in a second. Trust me."

Another spasm of excruciating pain and Kitty was out cold.

"Mother…?" Kadaj's eyes took on a gleam of childish delight, he immediately forgot about Kitty, in the mirth of the moment.

"Mother?" Loz peered over Kadaj at Kitty's still body, Yazoo followed suit.

Kitty began to move… yet it wasn't exactly Kitty that was moving. Half of _it_ was Kitty, but half of it was… not. Kitty stood up languidly and then turned in slow motion, revealing eerie topaz blue eyes— the pupils only cat-shaped slits— and shining strands of silver amongst the deep chocolate brown of Kitty's hair.

"Mother?"

_**"Who else?"**_Kitty's face took on a un-Kitty like smirk, and the girl spread her arms out wide._ "**Kadaj… Yazoo, Loz… my three favorite sons. My only sons… I've missed you three." **_

Kadaj's eyes filled with tears, and Loz was already sobbing. Yazoo only looked on in suspicion. There was something not right… since when did his mother ever think of them as her favorite three?

"What's wrong, Mother?" Yazoo spoke up, noticing the note in which Mother addressed them with.

Kitty took on a somber expression**_"Since you've been wasting away in the Lifestream, I was wandering the streets— a lost soul— all alone... oh so lonely,"_ **the girl began to break down due to Jenova's strong emotions_, "_**_I was hunted. Somebody saw me— something saw me… I fear that it will find me even though I am protected by the appearance of this girl I reside in. If it finds me, my sons, it will kill me. You'll have to protect my vessel that is the only way that will ensure my survival."_ **

"We'll do whatever it takes," Kadaj whispered breathlessly, strands of hair fell in his face getting damp from the tears that fell from his starry eyes.

Now, Yazoo could see what Mother was playing at. Whenever she had wanted Kadaj to do something immense for her in the past, she'd always play a damsel in distress. Always… and Yazoo knew how much his little brother wanted to please Mother. Yazoo also knew how much Kadaj would sacrifice himself for her. His whole life for Mother's appraisal and love. Yazoo, in the past would have done anything for Mother too... but now... he wasn't too sure. _Anything... for a mother..._

K**itty **watched them with involuntary tears still streaming down her pale face, **_"Ah, but you'll have to be careful. The thing that hunts me can be anywhere, and once it finds me it will stop at nothing to kill me. Remember, I'll be checking in,"_ **the mako in Kitty's eyes began to fade— then reappeared in full force,_ "**Oh, and if anything** _**_happens to my vessel, nothing good will become of you three."_ **Then Jenova's rich harmonious voice faded into the gloom.

With that, the mako completely washed from Kitty's eyes, leaving her staring blankly into space; brown as ever. It was almost as if Jenova hadn't even made an appearance, the only thing that showed that she had possessed the girl, was the silver strands left in Kitty's hair. Kitty began to fall forward.

Kadaj leapt forward, as soon as Kitty began to fall lifelessly to the ground, and caught her. "Mother…" Kadaj buried his face in Kitty's hair, and breathed in the scent of raspberries.

Yazoo and Loz came to stand next to Kadaj, and both placed a comforting hand upon his shoulder.

"Let's go, little brother," Yazoo said.

The three brothers, then, headed for the village entrance, the tallest of the three carrying a bundle that was in the shape of a small human girl; Kitty.

**_Very good… I think they believed you. Your next visit… you will tell them where to go. _**

**_I'll be happy too… but it will be a quick visit. I hate hurting her…_**

**_So you've said… so you've said…_**

* * *

There you all have it!

****


	5. Chapter 5 Unyielding Locket

Author's Note Hola! Okay, I had a lot of really nice reviews so I want to thank all of my reviewers who reviewed my last chapter: thank you so much to Yazoo IS Superior, Caelia Danan, Freedom Rionach, and (just because I forgot to acknowledge you for being my second reviewer) Shonen air girl! I really love reviews... so yeah. Anyway here is my fifth chapter.

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE: UNYIELDING ****LOCKET**

_"Go to sleep __mother… everything's okay. Trust me, you're tired, go to sleep—"_

_"What's this, Mother?" _

_"Loz!"_

_A silent voice came from the darkness, "It is Mother's necklace, Loz. Do not touch __it__ or she'll get mad," the voice was laconic and sleepy… it lulled Kit__ty into a deep dreamless sleep…_

Kitty awoke to a dark room. The only source of light came from the ripped holes of the fluttering curtains by the bedside, and a room opposite where Kitty lay. Outside, Kitty could hear the rumbling of thunder way off in the distance; approaching.

Wondering where she was, Kitty sat up, and looked around the dour room. "Hello…," she called out, "anyone here?" she feared that one of the brothers might appear. With a cursory glance down, Kitty checked to make sure her clothes were still in check. They were… but something was wrong. Kitty's eyes widened as soon as she saw the locket exposed so assailable against the thin clothe of her jacket. _It __has __been forgotten__… _Kitty thought.

_**As it should be Kitty…**_

_I forgot about it…_ Kitty swiftly brought her hands up to push the locket back under her jacket, but as soon as she saw her wrists she stopped. Bringing her hands up closer to her face, Kitty was able to examine them more closely. Her wrists were no longer hindered by rope. Bandages had been taped, meticulously, to parts of her wrist that had chafed during the time the brother's had held her captive. Now curious, Kitty threw the covers off of her whole body, and pulled her legs up to her chest. She then examined her ankles; they had received the same medical treatment as her wrists.

Kitty situated herself so as she was sitting on the side of the bed, her legs dangled slightly above the floor in the space between her, and her savior's own bed. She stared at his or her bed for a while; it was unmade, and pillows were strewn all over the floor and foot of the bed. From where Kitty sat, she could see a makeshift couch bed that had been moved, for some unknown reason, into the closet right next to the apartment room's door. One of those makeshift beds that Clary would pull out for her, when they'd go on vacations. She felt a strong pang of despair, at a reminiscence of her aunt.

"Aerith…? Zack…? Who's here?" Kitty glanced over at the door across from her. Kitty pushed up off of the bed and moved towards the door at an angle so as she would be poised to run just in case. She wondered if her savior was hiding from her in there. "Zack…?" Kitty tripped over the corner of something soft and plushy, but caught herself against the wall. She looked down at the floor; there she saw a mattress with sheets tangled up and left to the side. But, no matter how much proof she had, Kitty refused to believe that the brother's still had her in their grasp.

"Zack, this isn't funny," Kitty called out in her timid voice. She languidly pushed the door open even farther than it had been, and peered inside. Inside was a small bathroom with white tiled floors and obsolete white walls. There was nobody… Kitty was alone. She began to shake.

_Calm down… calm down…_ Kitty reasoned that it might be smart to go and find out where she was. Then what? _I don't know… _how could someone just bandage her up, and then leave her?

Kitty turned away from the bathroom, and shivered. The room was cold without the protection of warm blankets to cover her up. Quickly Kitty gave herself a once over look, just in case she had missed some other wound that had been inflicted upon her. There were none except for the ones that had already been bandaged. Kitty decided that now, rather than later, was the best time to go and figure out some things. If Kitty was to be stuck in some other world other than earth… than maybe it was best she knew where to start. An orphanage… perhaps…? Kitty didn't like the idea, but at least—

Thunder boomed over head. Kitty remembered that right before she had fallen asleep against Loz in Midgar, she had been watching the dark clouds' approach. _How long have I been asleep? _Kitty had no answer… of course she didn't. Kitty didn't even know of the date she had awoken in Midgar… she hadn't asked— she hadn't thought of it. She felt stupid for not having thought about it.

Looking around the gloomy room, Kitty decided that first thing was first; she would clean up for whoever had helped her. It was the least she could do to demonstrate her gratitude. Moving to the windows, Kitty moved the curtains aside to let through some daylight. She was met with a sight that was unfamiliar to her… a fast kinetic crowd of people below snaking through the narrow streets as if claustrophobia didn't even exist, and buildings on either side of the street closely packed together for as far as the eye could see.

Kitty's breath hitched as she caught sight of a few of the people in the crowd: three men were walking on stilts ten feet tall, looking down upon the people below them; a few women could be seen walking down the street with the most bizarre-looking clothes Kitty had ever seen; there were even animals walking amongst the crowd here and there, some with pink and yellow fur, and others that were some kind of hybrid Kitty had never laid eyes upon before.

Kitty was just about to shift the curtains back into place over the window, when she heard a dreadfully familiar voice echoing from the halls outside of the room's door.

"I can't believe you left her alone, Loz! You fool, she could've decided to up and leave, and we wouldn't have had any inkling. Damn you!" Kadaj's voice caused Kitty to turn pale… she remembered how fondly he had peered down at his double-bladed sword on that afternoon that they had caught her. How deviant he and his brother's had seemed then, how much her heart had beat with fear.

"I was hungry!" Loz defended, "and besides she looked fast asleep when I left. I don't think a blow horn would've woken her."

Kitty grinned slightly at this… the brothers did have a distinct bit of humor about them, she noted. But they were still very dangerous, and Kitty didn't want to be tied up again… or killed for that matter… so her decision was made. Quick as a dart Kitty threw open the window panes, causing them to make a loud squeak of protest and was out the window the moment the hotel room's door burst open.

The three brother's who had been walking swiftly down the hall, had heard the window pane's protest, and came running. Throwing the door wide open so as it banged vociferously against the wall, Kadaj ran forward to the room's only window. "Mother!" he caught a glimpse of fingers upon the roof's parapet and a shimmer of silver hair, until both slid out of sight.

Kadaj turned to his brothers with narrowed eyes, "Shit!" he swore. "She's escaped; Mother's little vessel has escaped! Mother's going to kill me…" Kadaj paced back and forth in front of the window, his head bowed in thought, he suddenly stopped, and slowly a smirk began to form upon his lips. "Loz, want to play a game?"

Loz raised an eyebrow, "Depends on what type…"

When Kitty had heard the sound of the door bursting open, she had panicked. She hadn't expected Kadaj and his brother's to be able to hear the window's creak or its moan of protest when she had crouched upon its sill. Startled, she had fallen upon the slanted roof, and as she slid down its length she'd tried to get a hold of one of its many moldy shingles. But every time she would dig her fingernails into one it would always come apart at the momentum of her speed and weight, leaving her to topple over the edge. There, in the flash of a moment, she had hurriedly pawed out at anything in her reach, and had fortunately caught a hold of the roof's parapet.

In the moment of relief, Kitty had looked up at the window she had fallen from, and had seen Kadaj there staring at her with his wide blue-flecked-green eyes. He hadn't narrowed them, or smirked at her, he'd done nothing but watch her in… _fear?_

She felt her fingers slip from the parapet railings, and glanced down at the ground. There she saw a man coming with an immense wheelbarrow full of clothes he was almost right beneath her… if she timed it just right—

Kitty slipped and fell. Down she went, until she landed with a soft thud amongst the piles of clothes in the wheelbarrow. Kitty breathed in a sigh of relief, and then glanced back up at the building she had fallen from. She whistled in disbelief, five stories… not too scary.

"Hey! You get out of my cart!" shouted the carter behind Kitty.

Kitty turned to look at him, noticing that the wheelbarrow had descended from its height, "Oh… sorry sir, I— I must have been sleep walking again," Kitty gave the carter man a fake smile of sheepishness.

"Sleepwalking… what a bunch of rubbish…" the man muttered under his breath, as he gazed down at her. He wore a long baggy navy blue shirt and jeans.

Kitty narrowed her eyes at him, but did not let her irritation get the better of her. She knew better than to allow something like that to happen. She heard some commotion in the street, and craned her neck to look around the carter's gaunt body, a streak of purple light— something moving at the speed of light— Loz. How Kitty knew that it was him… she honestly couldn't tell herself… Maybe it had been the chocolate bar that she had eaten that night at the church all alone… perhaps that was why all her senses were becoming a jumbled up mess of sounds and scenes and smells. Perhaps…

"Oh god!" Kitty immediately buried herself amongst the multicolored clothing— if Loz saw her then Kadaj would— Kitty's head throbbed and Kitty remembered an excerpt from a time she didn't remember waking up to. _Kadaj walked forward and fell to his knees in front of the__ her__, he put a hand on Kitty's back, "__Shhhh__… don't fight her…," he whispered._

_Kitty began to sob; it hurt so much. She had so many questions; she couldn't just let someone take her over without answers._

_"Just let her through," Kadaj soothed. His voice wasn't deadly sweet, or smug, it wasn't sarcastic or apathetic… it was actually… reassuring. "Just let yourself go. It will all be over in a second. Trust me."_

_Another spasm of excruciating pain and Kitty was out cold._

Kitty gasped. What had happened? What had happened throughout the time of her black out to her awakening? Kitty's heart beat and her breath came out in pants. Concealed by an immense mountain of clothes Kitty closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. _It will all be alright…_

"Hey girl! I thought I told you to get out!"

The blood in Kitty's face drained, as the carter came around and found her in the midst of the clothes, then grabbed her by the shoulders. He pulled her up with surprising strength for such a gaunt man, he pulled her up so as she now kneeled on her knees.

"Do you want me to call a SOLDIER to—" the cart man continued to speak, yet Kitty ignored him. Her eyes searched the crowd for any signs of Loz or his two brothers. _He can run at the speed of light… what __next? _Kitty wondered if the chocolate bar she had eaten was the reason why the three brothers weren't so human. Perhaps Kitty was becoming less of a human herself every second that ticked away.

"Listen," Kitty interrupted the carter from his tirade that she had completely missed, "I'll give you this, if you'll take me to a place where an orphan, like me, can find help."

"Help…?" The man gazed greedily at the dazzling golden chain that Kitty held out from around her neck. It contained a mediocre-sized golden star pendant glimmering with authentic sparkling white jewels. Kitty had received it on her seventh birthday from some anonymous relative, who had written on a card: _Dear Kitty, I wish I could be there to see you on your birthday. But since I can't come… I am entrusting you with this gift. It is a locket… one that you will not be able to open so easily— _and there the letter had ended. Clary and Kitty had stared and stared at the letter after reading it the first time, Clary had turned it over to see if, whoever it had been, had written on the other side of the letter… but the rest could not be found. Sometimes Kitty would stay up late during school nights, always trying to figure out how to open her locket. Yet every time would leave her even more frustrated than the first. Now fourteen, Kitty still hadn't figured out a way of opening it, and figured that if she couldn't open it— and since she wasn't on earth anymore— then what was the point of keeping the locket?

Half of the time Kitty barely even knew that she was wearing the necklace anyway… she had grown used to it always resting upon her collarbone out of sight from her aunt, who had prohibited her from wearing the necklace years ago. Yet despite her aunt's wishes, Kitty had put the necklace on nonetheless; it had lured her to it… and once she had it on she'd immediately forgotten about it. It was only during those sporadic times that Kitty would remember her locket and stay up late into the night trying to open it.

Kitty stared down at the locket now, she felt a deep feeling of regret and guilt as she thought of what she was about to do. But she didn't know what else there was to do since the brothers were still around… and she didn't want to be recaptured.

"Yes, I need help," Kitty whispered, "for the exchange of this necklace I want you to take me to the closest police station, okay?"

"Police station…?" the man looked confused.

Kitty remembered that this wasn't earth, and she gave the man an apologetic expression. "Forgive me, sir, I meant can you take me to whoever helps orphans in this village?"

The man nodded.

"Good," Kitty replaced the necklace against her collarbone, "I will give you this once we get there."

The man turned to walk back to the handlebars of the wheelbarrow, and held the whole thing up, as if there wasn't a whole one hundred twenty pounds added to the scale. He grunted, and then began to push the hoary thing along into the crowd of rushing hectic people.

Kitty had once again tediously buried herself into the pile of clothes, so as no one— specifically the brothers—would see her and recognize her. She sighed once she was fully concealed, no one would be able to discover her now… As soon as the wheelbarrow began to move— like, really move— Kitty began to rethink her plans.

The man was fast for such a scrawny guy. Instead of walking, he ran through the streets, shouting out obscenities to people who got in his way.

Kitty's eyes went wide, she'd never ridden a wheel barrow before, and its rickety balance scared her to death. She closed her eyes, breathing in and out… in and out—

"Get out of the way, you little scum!" came the carter's voice through Kitty's meditation. She opened her eyes.

The wheel barrow picked up speed.

"Move!"

Kitty felt sick, and closed her eyes.

The carter's speed increased through the crowd of people, and there was a loud cacophonous uproar. The wheelbarrow lurched… and then there was a cry of protest— the wheelbarrow swerved, and hit something hard.

Kitty along with all of the clothes in the wheelbarrow fell out of it, and landed hard against the paved street. _So much for a long ride to where ever he was taking me… _

Kitty hissed in pain her eyes tightly closed, she had landed hard on her side having bashed the left side of her forehead against the road. She opened her eyes and gazed at her blurry surroundings, as soon as Kitty's vision cleared, she gasped. A few inches away lay her locket in the rubble of the street in between someone's shoes. A whole crowd had gathered around her and the accident scene, Kitty groaned. Just what she needed: some witnesses that would be more than willing to blab out her latest whereabouts with the help of a double bladed sword or gun at their throat for extra guidance.

Swiftly Kitty swiped her hand over her locket, and just barely noticed that the chain had broken, before jumping up and bolting through the crowd. As soon as the carter had seen her get up, he had dropped the number of clothes he had been busy picking up, and called after her in a fury.

"Come back here! Hey! You, come back!"

But the carter's shouts were drowned out by a clap of thunder. As quickly as she could, Kitty dodged around and in between people trying not to bump into anyone that would cause her trouble. For a while that was all Kitty did; she dodged during a thunderstorm. But as soon as Kitty spotted a vacant bridge that crossed over a little stream, Kitty turned onto it breaking out of the bustling crowd.

The bridge was small but welcoming; as soon as Kitty was upon it she stopped and leaned over the side parapet, breathing heavily.

"Sheesh… that was a close one," Kitty whispered to herself, with a small but sad smile. She still hadn't figured out where she was, and where she should be heading. Reaching up to touch the wet liquid against the left side of her face, Kitty could tell that she was bleeding heavily. Wincing, Kitty bowed her head. She ran the fingers of her left hand through the annoying wisps of hair that had come undone during her little fiasco in the wheelbarrow; she vowed to herself that she would never ride a wheelbarrow again.

Thunder rumbled over head, a drop of rain fell on Kitty's nose. She ignored it.

Looking down at the necklace that she held in her right hand, Kitty stared at what was left of the golden chain holding her gorgeous locket. How could she have been so stupid…? Kitty knew that after all of the years she had hidden the necklace from her aunt's view— after all of the years she had worn the locket, and had spent countless night's trying to open it— that she could never give the locket up. The locket had become a part of her, Kitty realized as she stared down upon the star's dazzling façade.

_Pitter-patter… pitter-patter…_ Kitty yelped when the clouds above began to let loose a barrage of rain that came hurtling down. She ran for cover— across the bridge to a grove of trees looming tall above the building of the village.

Underneath the trees was just enough coverage for Kitty to keep dry, she hugged herself, and crouched against the stump of one tree.

_Plip__-plop… __plip__-plop… _Kitty had only been crouching there for a couple of seconds, when the rain had found her. Immediately standing up, Kitty decided that maybe staying in one spot had not been such an excellent idea after all, especially not with the three brothers still out there looking for her. Kitty shivered, and dashed out into the rain, her right hand— she clutched tightly against her chest, protecting the one thing that was related to her; the one thing that had been 'entrusted' to her by a relative.

Out on the bridge, puddles were already forming upon the uneven cobblestones, and accidentally Kitty caught a glimpse of herself—

Silver strands of hair… _NO!_

_**Has she **__**seen**__** herself? **_

_**I wouldn't put it past her. Kitty's very observant. **_

_**Well then hopefully she'll put two and two together. I do not want her wandering those streets alone, without their guidance— they weren't suppose to leave her alone anyway… and yet they did… **_

_**I promise you that they won't let it happen again, mother. **_

_**Well then… I guess that's that for right now. **_

_**Yes.**_

_**Good. How many days do we have left? **_

**_…__

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Nice and long! R&R, please!


	6. Chapter 6 Their Approach

Author's Note: Here's chapter six! I hope that there are no mistakes... but then again, I tried my best to go over it, so hopefully there are none. Ummm... I _would_ thank my recent reviewers for reviewing, but I have a cold, and need to get some sleep. So I hope you guys like! And I really appreciate your long and thoughtful reviews.

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**CHAPTER SIX: THEIR APPROACH**

_"Mom… dad… if you can hear me… I need help… I don't know where I'm going or what to do__." _

Yazoo stopped amongst the sea of people. He'd heard Mother's voice close by… _Kadaj, I've found her. _People with umbrellas pushed past Yazoo in anger, wondering why he had just stopped and hadn't moved to the side out of their way. The rain came down in sheets.

_I hear you, dearest brother. Keep her in your sight… I'll alert Loz_, Kadaj's voice echoed in Yazoo's head. Turning up onto a bridge, Yazoo saw **her**, and was immediately sickened by the sight of **her** blood. She was crouching, head in hands, sobbing silently. Her shoulders shook up and down, as he watched her solemnly.

Yazoo advanced bit by bit… He was wearing the hooded cloak that he had stolen from a store the other night, and was completely obscured from prying eyes.

Kitty's head snapped up, and to the left, as soon as she detected Yazoo's approach. She quickly wiped away her tears, and stayed stalk still as she saw the cloaked figure a few feet away. The figure stopped, and just watched her. Kitty noticed that his or her head was cocked to the side in an imploring manner… or perhaps it was a bored gesture.

Kitty stood up, "W-who are you?"

Yazoo didn't answer.

_Yazoo...! **Yazoo!** _Kadaj knew how close Yazoo was to Mother, _what the hell are you doing? Remember our plan? _

"I said: who are you?" Kitty cried, backing up a few steps.

Yazoo sighed in resignation, _she's__ bleeding Kadaj… _

_Yes. I know __that__, Yazoo.__Loz__ said that she __bashed__ her head against the road— of course it's bleeding! _

_Then listen to me, _Yazoo clenched his fists, _she needs medical care… and she's alone… Do you want her committing suicide? _

Loz's voice echoed in Yazoo's head, _Mother hit her head hard, Kadaj, I saw it myself. _

_Fine. _Kadaj's voice was blunt, _I'll be over there in a second— Loz too… Just keep her there, and don't let her out of your sight. _

_You already told me that, little brother. _Yazoo became immediately bored, once his brother's voices left his mind, he turned his attention upon Mother.

Kitty was now glaring at him.

Yazoo sighed, once more. He'd been a bit too preoccupied with his brothers, and hadn't noticed the girl's inquiry of who he was, but now he could at least show her. Slowly he pulled his hood off, revealing long silver hair and brilliant greenish-blue eyes.

Kitty's face immediately went pale, "Oh... **oh my god**!" she began to back away fast.

Yazoo only walked forward one step at a time, to keep the same length between them. _Mother has really short legs…_ Yazoo mused to himself.

"No!" Kitty screamed, "Get away. Leave me alone!"

Yazoo's eyes only narrowed slightly. Mother didn't want him…? He would teach Mother to love him even when she wasn't under one of her spells. Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo will not be ignored.

"Listen, Mother," he spoke up, "you're—"

"Mother?! Who do you think I am? I'm fourteen-years-old for heaven's sakes!"

Yazoo smiled slightly, "You _are _a little young to be a mother, aren't you? And yet you are one…" here Yazoo frowned, contemplating on something.

"What are you talking about?" Kitty dodged to the right side of the bridge, as Yazoo got too close. Yazoo allowed Kitty to dodge around him, and turned to face her, "I'm no one's mother."

Yazoo's eyebrow rose, a perfect imitation of Kadaj's own mock of a baffled expression. Kitty remembered Kadaj's sword, and she looked over her shoulder in a panic.

"No?" Yazoo peered over Kitty's shoulder also.

"Have you alerted them?" Kitty asked, facing him once more.

Yazoo cocked his head; he could smell fear exuding from the words she had just spoken, "Yes." He was quite impressed with the girl, she was very observant to have been able to figure out how he and his brothers communicated.

Kitty turned, and ran.

Yazoo's eyes widened… He had underestimated her. He'd thought that she would be too weak to run… too weak to deal with the crowds… but she was part of Mother, and Mother was strong. Yet Yazoo had a feeling that she would not last too long in the crowds… he knew that she'd probably collapse with so much blood loss. _Kadaj, she's gotten away__… _

_I see her, _Kadaj replied grimly in only a matter of seconds.

_We should just leave her to do as she wishes, _came Loz's voice, _and_ _then we can drop in when she loses consciousness. _

Kadaj growled at this._I will not allow Mother to suffer for that long… Yazoo, I want you to go and find us some supplies— Loz go and get the bikes. I'll __retrieve__ Mother…_

_Fine._Yazoo walked off of the bridge, and— before fading into the bustling crowd— pulled his hood over his head. Once lost in the jumble of people, he met up with his dearest brother Loz. Loz stood there staring ahead into the crowd. The people past them, as if they were a jutting boulder on the side of a waterfall; the crowd was the waterfall.

"Do you think Mother's really worth it, anymore?" Loz murmured.

"She's Mother," Yazoo replied bluntly, "our mother— of course she's worth it."

Loz looked around, "Do you think geostigma is actually gone?"

"I wouldn't doubt it."

"Then that means that Mother has given up all hope on taking over the Planet…" Loz's whole body shook from staying still too long.

Yazoo smiled slightly, "That means she has a new plan."

Kitty ran fast through the crowd. She looked back a couple of times for any sign of Yazoo having followed her, but found none. As Kitty neared the village entrance— her escape from the brothers— the people around Kitty, suddenly, jumped back. The whole place became quiet, except for murmurings and whispers of this and that.

Kitty gasped, the people had migrated to the sides of the street leaving the middle vacant, except for her and two people entering the village. Two men: one with flamboyant spiky blonde hair, a turtle-necked sweatshirt, black pants, and what looked like Zack's buster sword and grey pauldron; the other was of African American descent, with a heavy metal-thing acting substitute for one of his arms, and kind but hard eyes.

The moment the two men spotted Kitty, Kitty had begun to back up. She didn't know who they were… or why the crowd had gone silent for them. She just knew that they could be anyone…

"Hey, you!" the man with metal for his arm called out, he was squinting at Kitty. It was almost as if he wasn't sure if it was blood he was seeing, or paint.

There was a murmur that washed through the sea of onlookers. "Do you see her face?" "What's up with all the blood, momma?" "Seventh Heaven…," "Delivery…," "Sephiroth…," "Defeated…," "Remnants."

It was all Kitty could take before she fled from the scene.

_**Holy shit, Kitty! **_

_**Zack?**__** Is that you?**_

_**She missed them! She ran right past them!**_

_**Zack… she doesn't trust them… she doesn't even know them. **_

Kitty broke through a couple of startled people, who stared and pointed at her face. _I know… I'm bleeding…_ Kitty thought in exasperation, she ran into an alley, and ran for the street ahead. She was almost to the street, when she began to feel woozy— but she kept on running.

_Almost there, Kitty… __come__ on girl… you can do this…_ Kitty was searching for another village exit. With the brothers looking for her and with those bizarre men at that village entrance, she was sure that they would hinder her from exiting.

A figure dropped down in front of Kitty from the roofs above.

Kitty skidded to a halt… _No… please no… _

Kadaj walked towards her with a small sadistic smile on his face, his hood down, his hair falling into his face. "Mother," he called, "there's no need to be afraid of us… I won't hurt you." His voice was soft. He was almost like a child, calling out to a badly-treated puppy. Yet his face told Kitty otherwise.

Kitty shook her head, and looked over her shoulder at the street she had just come from, "Leave me alone, sir… I'm no one's mother."

Kadaj smiled, "Oh but you are, Mother," Kadaj walked up to her, closing the distance in between them quickly.

"Stop calling me that!" Kitty lashed out at him, as he came so close that she could feel his cold breathe against her cheek.

Kadaj caught her wrist, and squeezed.

Kitty cried out; he was squeezing the part where her wrists were bandaged from having chafed badly.

"That's right," Kadaj hissed menacingly, "I can do worse than that if you don't cooperate, _Mother_. I don't want to but I will."

Kitty was reminded of the first time they had met… had it been two days ago? A week? Kitty wasn't sure how long she had been out cold, ever since something or someone had tried to take over her body, she'd been sleeping. That's all she knew.

There was a loud unfamiliar shout from down the alley, "Hey!"

With a flash Kadaj had Kitty pinned up against the alley wall with his body. He then narrowed his eyes and gazed at the intruder.

Kitty struggled against Kadaj, but it was in vain, carefully she turned her head to look at the person who Kadaj was glaring at. She gasped; it was one of the men that the crowd had gone silent for. He was the one with a sword like Zack's own, and spiky blonde hair.

"_Big brother_," Kadaj hissed.

The blonde haired man stepped forward, drawing his sword, "Let the girl go…"

Kitty watched the exchange of expressions in between the two men. There was anger apparent in the way the blonde man clenched his jaw, and threats portrayed in Kadaj's uncanny blue eyes. Kadaj pressed into Kitty harder. She could feel him tensing against her, and felt her own muscles tense up. _Is he going to attack us? _Kitty watched the blonde-haired man with wide eyes.

"My dear Big Brother," Kadaj exclaimed in a mocking tone, "aren't you happy to see me?"

The blonde man only took one step forward, brandishing his buster sword. Now that Kitty could see the man better, she could easily make out the defined muscles on his arms and the way he carried the sword as if it were weightless.

Suddenly the man let out an enraged yell and lunged forward, his buster sword above his head— poised to slice them in half.

Kitty cried out, and buried her face against Kadaj's chest… it was an unconscious habit to hide her eyes from something inevitable.

Kadaj watched the sword make its descent down upon him and Mother, he smiled scornfully, and— at the last second— moved out of the way of the blow. He turned to the left against the alley wall, and then, with Kitty still in his arms, jumped up on a dumpster and onto the roof.

_**My queen…**_

**_Sephiroth._**

**_They approach. Not the planet on which my brothers still search for Jenova… but here. They're coming here to find it…_**

**_Then let them. They have no way of getting in without Kitty._**

**_But what happens when they find her? _**

**_Let us not think about that now, Sephiroth…_**

**_Well then let me just explain to you the fact that Zack has just gone down there. He thinks that Cloud will be a better protector for the girl, and will rest at nothing to keep her away from my brothers. _**

**_He doesn't trust you yet, he doesn't trust your brothers either… But he doesn't know what you have done to earn my trust… Go and keep Zack away from her. _**

**_I will. _**

Out in the deserts… swiftly approaching a small village in the middle of nowhere was a man on a sleek-bodied bike. But something was wrong about this man; he spoke in snake hisses, and his eyes were nothing but rolling orbs of silver liquid. His fingernails were talons; his teeth were fangs, honed to sharp points; his skin was wrinkly; his hair was thin, white, and wispy.

While this creature rode, there would be a five minute pause, before he would let out an ominous shriek that echoed for miles. After ten more relentless cries, three more creatures identical to the first one had joined in the ride.

_She who is the key… we must find… she who is the key… we must find…_

Only someone who knew the dialect of these uncanny creatures would have been able to translate their hisses, to what is above: She who is the key… we must fine. This was the creatures' mantra… it was what the creatures had been created for. To find 'she who is the key.'**_

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Yeah! I look forward to writing chapter seven! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! Wa-ha-ha-ha-ha! cough please, R&R!


	7. Chapter 7 Understanding

Author's NoteYeah! Here's my seventh chapter! Sorry I couldn't post it up sooner, but I got home late yesterday... and as I said I was sick. But now I'm feeling a bit more better! This afternoon I actually felt good enough to go running around playing keep-away with my friends. So yeah...

Ummm... I want to thank all of my loyal reviewers, because without your reviews, I'd probably have gone at a pace of posting these chapters up once every month instead of posting them up at least every day. I really love all of your reviews... and hope that if you find anything in my writing that needs criticizing please tell me!

Okay well enough of my notes... and on with the chapter! Hope you guys like (Insert smiley face)!

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**CHAPTER SEVEN: ****UNDERSTANDING**

_**I'**__**m back! Mom…?**_

_**My daughter… it is too late…**_

_**What are you talking about mom? They don't have Kitty— how are we too late? **_

_**I**__**'**__**ve misinterpreted something… When the girl was born something happened… Long story short she's no greater good than she's evil. She is the key to both ways… if **__**Caltrat**__** gets his hands on her than all is lost. **_

_**But… how are we too late?**_

_**He isn't coming here… **__**Sephiroth**__** betrayed us…**_

Kadaj took Kitty back to the room he and his brothers had acquired. There he set her down, without a word, on her bed and went into the bathroom and shut the door hard.

Kitty was stunned, she'd expected Kadaj to hurt her, tie her up— anything! But she hadn't expected him to leave her alone, bleeding and dizzy from blood loss. She sat there staring at the door blankly; perhaps she had judged the brother's nature, wrong.

"Kadaj! We're back!" the room's door burst open revealing an overly energetic Loz and a bored, unenthused Yazoo. As soon as the brothers saw Kitty they stopped, and then glanced from her to the bathroom door.

Kitty only sat there, paralyzed. She wasn't exactly sure how to act around the brothers any more… they weren't trying to attack her or harm her in anyway… what was going on? Only a few days ago the brothers had hunted her down for a candy bar… tried to kill her, and then had taken her as hostage. Now she had just tried to escape… and Kadaj had found her and— what do you know— hadn't harmed a hair on her head. Instead he had protected her from being sliced in half by a buster sword back in the alley.

As Kitty sat there in silence there came the sound of running water in the bathroom. Kitty wondered if Kadaj was taking a bath… She watched as both Loz and Yazoo began to go around the room collecting up scattered weapons and articles of— Kitty looked away— clothing. From their expressions Kitty could tell that they were speaking of her in their telepathic ways.

The water turned off in the bathroom.

Kitty glanced over at the door, it began to open. Kadaj came through carrying a basin of water and a rag. He dipped the rag in the water, and came to kneel before Kitty.

"What—"

Kadaj reached up and began to roughly wash her face.

Kitty gasped, the rag was burning hot. She slapped Kadaj's hand away and glared at him unappreciatively.

Kadaj growled, his eyes widened and then narrowed in a threatening way. "Yazoo," he called his brother over, "hold her back."

There was a weight on the bed behind Kitty and within seconds Kitty had been gathered up into Yazoo's lap. Yazoo held her hands in a firm grip.

Kadaj brought himself up on his knees, and starting all over, began to— more gently— cleanse her face. Kitty closed her eyes in silent confusion… Did they really believe her to be their mother? The way Kadaj stroked her face with the rag was, in a way, soothing. In no longer than a few minutes, Kitty found herself leaning back against Yazoo.

When Kadaj's strokes moved up to Kitty's forehead, she gave out a yelp and almost jumped ten feet in the air, yet Yazoo kept his hold on her.

"Shhhhhh…" Kadaj murmured. He locked gazes with Kitty.

Kitty saw something flicker in his eyes; something that she could not read. She looked away, his gaze had been intense— as if he'd been daring her to look away first… she had. There were some things she didn't care to find out about; his thoughts were one of those things.

Kadaj frowned… yet Yazoo told him to leave her alone. Kadaj wasn't used to Mother treating him like this, yet he would let it slip this time. Kadaj reached out a hand, and made Kitty face him, she avoided his gaze.

When Kadaj finished cleaning her wound from blood, he assessed the damage that had been inflicted to her forehead, and stood up. "Yazoo, where's the medical aid kit?"

Yazoo shifted with Kitty in his lap, "It's under my pillow," one of his hands went to Kitty's ponytail. She could feel his long fingers running through her tresses, her eyes widened when he pulled on the hair band at the base of her ponytail. Her hair came down framing her face…

Kadaj looked at Kitty strangely, and then behind her at Yazoo. Kitty didn't know how she could tell… but something about Yazoo's manner told her he was smirking. Kadaj scowled, and moved to the mattress at the foot of Kitty's bed; there he bent down to retrieve an object. He stood up and set the box upon the bed, he then opened it, and pulled out a glinting silver needle and cobweb thin thread.

Immediately Kitty became pale; she hated anything to do with needles.

"Please… don't…" she whimpered, she turned her head away from the sight of Kadaj advancing towards her.

"Hold still, Mother," Kadaj hissed at her, he kneeled once more before her.

"No!"

Loz came into sight, his arms crossed over his chest, he stared at Kitty with an unreadable expression upon his face. _They were, all three of them, uncaring bastards!_Kitty thought in defense of her fear.

Yazoo gathered Kitty's hair up in both of his hands, and yanked hard, pulling her head back so as he could gaze into her eyes. It was almost as if he had heard her remark. "Mother… let us help you. Kadaj doesn't wish to hurt you, but he will if you do not cooperate. Understand?"

Kitty's eyes watered, but she nodded nevertheless.

Yazoo pushed Kitty's head back up, yet kept a hold on her hair.

Kadaj then began the tedious effort of stitching Kitty's forehead wound closed. Every once and a while Kitty would flinch or cry out or squirm yet Kadaj would have none of it, he continued to stitch repeatedly. When Kadaj was done, after only a few more minutes, Kitty was left staring at him with an expression likened to 'I hate you,' on her face. Kadaj only ignored her.

"You're welcome, Mother," he whispered— avoiding her gaze. Then he stood up, "Loz scout the room for anything we've missed. Yazoo, stay here with Mother. I'm going to go and see what else we need." Then Kadaj left the room with a shut of the door.

Kitty stared blankly at the window that Kadaj and her had jumped through earlier, she was even more confused. Her hand went up to feel the stitches that were holding her wound together—

"No. Do not touch," Yazoo had placed his hand around her wrist; soft but firm. "Kadaj worked hard… you are lucky he did it fast, Mother. If he had wanted to cause you pain then he would have gone slow. You should've shown your appreciation—"

"I don't understand…" Kitty interrupted him, she looked up at Loz who still stood before her. He had been staring at the door from which Kadaj had exited, but the moment he felt Mother's eyes upon him, he turned his attention upon her.

"What do you not understand?" Yazoo implored of her.

"Just a few days ago… you guys were hunting me down for a chocolate bar. And now… I'm… your mother? And… and you're acting as if I'm some fragile little being that can't take care of herself! What's up with that? I don't understand… what is the point of my being here? What is the point of anything anymore?!" Kitty was starting to cry. She was beginning to remember Clary, and everything that she would never be able to do or have, ever again. "I just don't understand… why did it have to be me? Of all the people on earth… why did it have to be me?"

"Earth?" Loz raised an eyebrow.

"You're Mother," Yazoo answered simply, "there's nothing else to understand… It will all come back to you in time."

"Come back to me?" Kitty's brows furrowed, "Do you actually think that I really am your mother?"

"You are Mother," Yazoo's fingers were braiding through Kitty's hair now, as if he were already bored with the conversation, and needed something to keep him awake. Kitty gazed from Yazoo to Loz.

Loz reached out a hand to touch Kitty's cheek, with a small smirk, "I think that Mother is playing with us," he stated.

Kitty swatted his hand away, "I'm not playing with anyone!"

Loz frowned at her, his hand fell lifeless against his side.

"Honestly! Do I even look a bit like you two?" Kitty cried out… she was so positively sure that they had no come-back to that. But she had forgotten one miniscule thing…

"Yes… you do…" Yazoo held out a strand of Kitty's hair; _silver_.

Kitty grabbed the strand of hair from Yazoo's grasp, in a tantrum, and yanked it from its root. "Fine!" she shouted, "maybe I was your 'mother' in a past life— but now, I'm just a fourteen year old girl! I haven't even had a period—" here Kitty clamped a hand over her mouth, and stared in horror at Loz's widened smirk.

Against Kitty, Yazoo began to laugh. It was a curious sound that Kitty had never really heard before— deep, dark, and melodious— she liked the sound of it…

_**Hold on Kitty. I'm coming for you… hold on… don't fall**__** in their trap. Have faith in me…**_

It was later in the evening, and Loz had left the room to go and found Kadaj. Now it was just Yazoo and Kitty.

The room was getting even gloomier than it had been in the morning. Shadows collected in the corners, marring the already dirty walls and floor. Kitty stood by the window, staring out of it, her back to Yazoo's ever persistent gaze as he lay on his side upon her bed. It was creepy… to say the least that guy wouldn't even blink as he watched her. Perhaps he was making sure that she had no chances of escape… or perhaps he was only trying to creep her out and make her turn back to him so as he could continue his ministrations on her hair. Whatever it was… it almost worked on Kitty… but she was also highly aware of the fact that he was a 'he,' and that in the past few hours, Kitty had been noticing in all aspects that the brothers were utterly gorgeous beings.

Deciding to break the silence, Kitty decided to ask something totally out of the blue, "So… what was so special about that candy bar?" The mystery surrounding the chocolate bar she had eaten, had been nagging Kitty ever since Kadaj and his brothers had attacked her. She didn't turn away from the window, though, she was too timid to meet Yazoo's gaze.

"What candy bar?" Yazoo spoke in a velvety voice, deeper than Kadaj's yet not as deep as Loz's. His tone was almost care-free— and as always— bored.

"You know…," Kitty tried to imitate Yazoo's care-free tone, "the one that I stole."

There was silence behind Kitty, and then, "It was Kadaj's candy bar. He never told us what it was for."

Kitty frowned. _Kadaj's__ candy bar…? _She had touched **_Kadaj's_ **cheek and had eaten **_Kadaj's_ **candy bar "Oh," Kitty whispered. 

The bed creaked in the interval between conversation and silence, causing Kitty to tense up. She whirled around in a panic only to face Yazoo's leather clad abdomen right before her eyes. Looking up slowly, with a vivid blush on her cheeks, Kitty found that Yazoo wasn't even looking at her; instead he was staring out the window.

"It's all quiet," Yazoo murmured.

Kitty gulped, and nodded, "Everyone's probably inside, away from the rain," she dodged to the side as soon as Yazoo looked down upon her. He smirked knowingly as soon as he saw her flushed face, but did not comment.

The silence persisted making Kitty uncomfortable. A question popped up in her head, "What exactly… took me over that night we arrived here?"

Yazoo raised an eyebrow, he still hadn't moved from his close proximity before her. "You mean to tell me you don't even know?"

Kitty shook her head slightly.

"Hmm… that would explain your not knowing anything about us… until now," Yazoo returned his gaze out the window.

Kitty frowned as silence returned and Yazoo made no effort to break it and answer her inquiry. Kitty cleared her throat deliberately; without her I-pod or any source of music, there was nothing left of Kitty but for an empty shell of fear and claustrophobia. The silence was like a house bearing down upon Kitty, squeezing her until she could no longer breathe.

Yazoo looked down at her with an intense stare; "You don't like being quiet do you?" it was as if he had read her mind… maybe he had… it would definitely explain earlier. Yazoo decided to answer Kitty's inquiry, "It was Jenova, who talked through you, our mother. Your mother too… until she decided to use your body as her vessel."

"Oh," Kitty looked down at her feet, "I feel so important now," Kitty mumbled lamely.

Yazoo nodded slightly, his attention— Kitty could tell— was vacillating between her and out the window. He had completely missed her sarcastic tone of voice, and was watching the shadows across the street for some unknown reason.

Kitty began to inch her way from before Yazoo to the bed. Yazoo didn't move, but Kitty could tell that he was completely aware of where she was in the room.

Sitting down on the bed, Kitty noticed how dark it was getting, and so leaned over and turned the light on by the bedside table. When the lamp switched on, it emitted a warm flame of light that bathed the whole room with an almost tranquil warmth.

"So…," again Kitty interrupted the ringing silence, "where do you think they are?" she swung her legs against the bed; jittery with anxiety.

Yazoo's head cocked to the side, but he made no motion to turn around. He was the epitome of silence.

Kitty sighed after a few minutes of him not answering, and fell back onto the bed; it made a creaking noise as her whole weight made contact with its surface. Creak… Kitty grinned, the noise had just given her a brilliant idea. Kitty needed some source of noise right now to keep her from going crazy. She sat up, and began to bounce up and down.

Creak! Creak! Creeaakk

Yazoo whipped around, "Stop it!" he growled at her.

Kitty's eyes went wide, she'd almost forgotten about him in her moment of bouncing, she immediately sat still.

Yazoo's eyes narrowed upon her, yet when there came the sound of a key turning in the lock, his eyes flashed towards the door.

Kitty turned, and watched as the room's door opened. In came Loz and Kadaj: Loz was carrying a few grocery bags; Kadaj was carrying some small glowing balls of… well… Kitty wasn't sure what they were.

"What are those?" Kitty asked in fascination.

Kadaj glanced her way after setting the circular objects upon the bed next to Kitty's. "They're called materia; powerful things, Mother… you should know this," he frowned at her in thought.

Yazoo came up behind Kitty, "Perhaps she doesn't know of materia, dearest brother, because she comes from some other world entirely," his breath played upon Kitty's neck—

Kitty yelped and scrambled away from Yazoo, yet she was met by Loz who was grinning at her deviously on the other side of the bed. Changing course, Kitty scrambled to the foot of her bed, and jumped to the ground taking refuge near the bathroom door. There Kitty was able to watch all three of the brothers, and just in case they made any threatening move towards her, she could immediately slam the bathroom door in their faces.

"I think that maybe you're right Yazoo," Loz purred, smiling playfully at Kitty.

Kitty glanced over at Kadaj, to see how he was reacting to all of this.

"Let her alone, you two," Kadaj had a small trademark smirk of amusement upon his lips, "Loz give her some food. I'm sure she's hungry by the way her stomach keeps on rumbling every few seconds."

Kitty's face flushed all over again, she couldn't believe that he could hear her stomach from all the way over to where he stood. It just wasn't fair! The nerve of him to point that out!

Yes… darling… life isn't fair.

Loz brought Kitty two candy bars.

"This is… food?" Kitty stared at the two bars in disbelief. "Is this what you three eat?"

Loz frowned at her, "What's wrong with what we eat?"

Kitty was baffled. She glanced around at the three brothers; they were all staring at her, candy bars in hand.

"This isn't healthy for you guys!" Kitty cried, "No wonder you three aren't humans! But still…"

Kadaj got up from where he sat. Portentously he walked over to her, his eyes narrowed, "Just eat them if you know what's good for you," he hissed, "you ate my special chocolate bar—so why not eat these two?"

"Because…" Kitty looked down at her feet in contemplation—

Kadaj reached out lightening fast, and yanked her chin up, "Eat them… or else Mother."

Kitty glared evenly into his uncanny eyes, "No."

Without any warning, Kadaj had Kitty up against the wall with his precious sword up against Kitty's throat, "Say that again…"

Kitty's eyes were wide, and her body trembled, yet she tried to keep her voice calm, "I said—"

Kadaj pulled her from the wall, and then shoved her up against it again.

"Kadaj!" Loz was abruptly behind his little brother, staring up at Kitty with panic evident in his eyes, "you're hurting Mother. Remember Mother, Kadaj?"

Yazoo came up, and grabbed Kadaj's weapon-bearing hand, "Take Souba off of Mother's throat, brother, before you do something you'll regret."

Souba… Kitty found it weird that the brothers gave their weapons names; she squirmed in her dangling position.

Kadaj's body was tense, his eyes mere slits, and he stared at Kitty with something akin to hatred. Kitty stared back, but with an expression of mock pity. She was kind of enjoying the power she held over the three brothers now…

Kadaj lowered his eyes, "I'm sorry Mother," he whispered and then he let go of her and backed up. He couldn't believe he'd allowed his anger to get the best of him again… worse of all, he had used that anger upon Mother.

Kitty dropped to the ground, and caressed her throat in her hand. She was sure it would bruise come tomorrow morning. Yet… something flickered in Kitty's emotions when Kadaj had apologized; she knew how hard, it probably was, for him to abdicate his pride in saying sorry. Kitty looked up at him with curiosity; he was staring down at her— his hair falling into his face shrouding his expressions from Kitty's view.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again.

The room was still and silent, all three brothers watched the girl that was their mother's vessel. They wished for her appraisal; they thirsted for her love; they wanted her to fill the void of their pitiful family. Mother… they needed a mother.

Kitty stood up, she gazed from Loz to Yazoo and then to Kadaj. She walked up to Kadaj, and stared up into his eyes, "I don't understand…" Kitty stared up at his intimidating gaze fully, "I don't understand…" here she smiled, "what is so special about that candy bar."

Kadaj stared at her, dumbfounded for a second, and then a slow quirk of his lips, alerted Kitty that she had won him over. "I stole it from Shin-Ra…"

_She who is the key… we must find… she who is the key… WE MUST FIND!_

The creatures let out their agonized screams, and sped into the village. They could smell her, she was theirs… blood would be spilled. They loved blood. They lived for blood. They drank blood.

Oh blood… it was everywhere… lights turned on up and down the village streets, faces appeared at windows; pale with fear. Then double locks could be heard clicking throughout the village, barely audible under the sound of the thrumming of motorbikes. Windows were shuttered close. People hid in their basements and attics, not ever to come out again until morning.

_She who is the key… master we return her to you… blood will be spilled tonight in favor of your name._

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On a brighter note, R&R, please!


	8. Chapter 8 Memories

Author's Note: Here's chapter eight! I hope that all of you guys will enjoy it... but we'll see :). Ummm... I'm feeling better! But I still have to have a teaspoon of cough syrup (with molasses in it) every two hours, which is very annoying, because it's disgusting.

Anyway, I was originally not going to start out this chapter with a dream... but when my "language arts teacher" decided to give a "lesson" on creative writing, I just came up with the beginning. So I hope you guys like!

I would thank my recent reviewers... but it's almost nine o' clock, and my mom will bust me, 'cause her latest rule is "I have to get off by nine o' clock." I really hate this rule.

On a brighter note, enjoy the chapter!

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**CHAPTER EIGHT: MEMORIES**

_Blue eyes… golden __emerald__ swirls… ocean— the spray of salt in the air… she was giggling and jumping through the waves._

_The sky got dark… the waves became choppy and dangerously high— they swallowed her whole…_

_"Mother!__ Mother! Wake up! _

_She was drowning— choking— the eyes that stared down at her changed color, and narrowed mercilessly. _

_**See Kitty this is what you were born for— to die making something brilliant. You were only meant to be a pawn. **__**My pawn.**_

"No!" Kitty shot up in bed with a scream, she bumped her head against something hard, and cried out. Throwing her arms about her head in excruciating pain, Kitty looked up at whatever it was she had collided heads with—

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Kadaj swore. He cradled his forehead in his hands.

Kitty's eyes widened, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!"

Loz was laughing, looming above Kitty and her bed. Yazoo only smirked; it wasn't every day that their little brother was hit by a girl. In fact Kadaj had never been hit by a girl…

Kitty scrambled up from the bed and went to go fetch a damp rag from the bathroom, hurrying back she found the three brothers in the same position as she had left them.

"Here," Kitty padded up to Kadaj and handed him the rag.

"What's this?" Kadaj was confused; he knew what it was… he just didn't understand why she had gotten it for him.

"It's a rag," Kitty frowned, "for your head."

Kadaj looked up at her his hair concealing his face as always, "You got this for… me?"

Kitty looked over at Loz and Yazoo. She found that even they looked as surprised and curious as Kadaj.

"Ummm… yeah!" Kitty smiled uncertainly at him, "for you." There was awkward silence afterward… then Kitty spoke up. "What? What's wrong?"

Kadaj shook his head; Loz and Yazoo looked away.

"Did I do something wrong? Am I not supposed to help you?" Kitty was confused… she wondered if this planet considered it a crime to help others, whereas earth considered it something wonderful.

"It's not that you did something wrong…" Yazoo cocked his head, as if trying to interpret Kadaj's thoughts, "It's just that—" Yazoo stopped mid-sentence to snap his head in the direction of the apartment door. His eyes narrowed.

Kadaj whipped up and pushed Kitty to the bed. But all Kitty had eyes for was the rag she had handed to Kadaj; it fell motionless to the floor…

The door flew open— the sound of an inhuman scream echoed down the streets outside of the window. A man was revealed at the doorway. He was gaunt, like all of the villagers around, with blonde hair, a mustache, and a business suit on. He quivered with every word he spoke.

"Creatures— attacking— evacuation—"

Kadaj calmly walked over to the doorway, and with a blink of an eye had the door slammed shut in the man's face. "Stupid human… can't even speak right," he growled, "now brother's you know our plan."

Kitty, unable to understand the situation they were under, just stared wide-eyed at the closed door. _Under an attack…?_ She looked over at the brothers, _plan? What plan? _

Outside in the hallways voices could be heard, people were screaming and panicking.

_What type of creatures? _Kitty got up hesitantly from the bed and walked slowly over to the window. She was just barely aware of Kadaj and his brothers gathering up a modicum of supplies around her. She saw through the periphery of her vision, Kadaj stuff a bit of materia in a small leather pouch at his hip.

Kitty got to the window. She opened the blinds—as if in slow motion— there came a vociferous and vibrant scream. The lights went off in the room.

"Mother!"

The next thing Kitty knew was she'd been hit by some massive force, and she was now tumbling underneath said thing. Somewhere nearby there was a massive crash, glass shattered, and something fell heavily into the room. The thing that pinned Kitty to the floor sheltered her from the oncoming shards of glass.

"Shhhh… shhhhh… Mother," it was Kadaj… Kadaj had pushed her to the floor. "Shhhh... shhhh…"

Kitty shivered, and tried to get up, but Kadaj only used his weight to push her back down.

There came a snarl from close by… animalistic… emitted from a beast with foul breath.

Kitty whimpered under Kadaj, and Kadaj hissed at her— but it was too late.

The creature flew at them, threw Kadaj off of Kitty, and then it was on her. Kitty screamed— the creature only hissed and spluttered and pawed at her. Kitty struggled and rolled around, trying to get the creature off of her… but with no avail. The creature's knurly hand found part of Kitty's bare stomach as it ripped away part of her shirt, and splayed across her fair skin. Kitty screamed yet again… the creature's skin burned.

A hideous shriek— a flash of silver— a slash of honed claws…the creature sprang up and poised it's claw in one long sweep towards Kadaj's neck. Kitty screamed, she watched with wide eyes, as blood splattered everywhere, and Kadaj's sword went right through the creature's hand. The creature screamed, but did not stop it's onslaught, it flew at Kadaj; Kadaj met the creature full on. Another thin figure, with long silver hair, joined the fray.

"Mother…! Mother…! Over here, Mother!"

Kitty's attention wavered from Kadaj and the obscured creature to some figure crouching in the dark.

"L-Loz? Yazoo? I-I can't see…" Kitty reached out a hand towards the figure, and the figure took it.

"Hurry… they're after you Mother. We cannot allow them to take you," the voice was easily depicted. Kitty could tell that it was Loz. He pulled her up from her crouched position and pushed her in front of him, she ran blindly for the door; an erect rectangle of gloom in the darkness.

"L-Loz… what about Kadaj… and Yazoo? We can't just leave them!" Kitty halted in her steps, and turned back.

"They'll live," came Loz's answer.

"B-but—"

Another scream outside that belonged to another creature, alerted Loz that he needed to get the girl out of there, and fast. Loz yanked Kitty up by the waist, and began to run with her to the door. Kitty struggled in his arms, but like the first time, she fell limp.

Loz dropped Kitty in the hallway— dark from the power-outing— and ordered her to run in front of him. She'd asked where they were going; he told her he'd guide her. So Kitty ran, fear pumped in her veins and her heart missed a few beats every cry she heard from outside. Something was beginning to crawl under her shirt… something barely there, yet still present.

"Left— go left!" Loz called to her.

Kitty swerved to the left, and ran down another long hallway that stretched into eternal darkness. Kitty closed her eyes… a_ cry— a flash of silver— a slash of honed claws… blood everywhere… _

_**Flash!**_

_Yazoo gathered Kitty's hair up in both of his hands, and yanked hard, pulling her head back so as he could gaze into her eyes. "Mother… let us __help__ you. Kadaj doesn't wish to hurt you, but he will if you do not cooperate. Understand?__"_

_**Flash!**_

_A figure dropped down in front of Kitty from the roofs above. Kitty skidded to a halt__Kadaj walked towards her with a small sadistic smile on his face, his hood down, his hair falling into his face. "Mother," he called, "there's no need to be afraid of us… I won't hurt you." His voice was soft. He was almost like a child, calling out to a badly-treated puppy. Yet his face told Kitty otherwise__…_

_**Flash!**_

_Kitty's head snapped up, and to the left, as soon as she detected Yazoo's approach. She quickly wiped away her tears, and stayed stalk still as she saw the cloaked figure a few feet away. The figure stopped, and just watched her. Kitty noticed that his or her head was cocked to the side in an imploring manner… or perhaps it was a bored gesture. Kitty stood up, "W-who are you?"_

_**Flash!**__** Flash! Flash!**_

Kitty fell to the ground… "Loz!" she screamed. Her skin burned, where the creature had touched her… "Loz! Please… it's burning! Get it off of me— get it off of me!"

Loz crumpled to the ground next to her, "Mother…? Where— I don't understand— what burns?"

Kitty didn't understand either. All she knew was that whatever it was, it was making her fall into unconsciousness; into memory lane.

Oh yes… Kitty-kat. Memory lane… we feed off of memory lane…

"Who's there?!" Kitty had heard a whisper in the dark… a hiss.

"Mother—there's no one here, but me," Loz was beginning to panic. He couldn't fathom losing Mother after just finding her… he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he lost Mother.

Kitty cried out when her skin reached a boiling temperature, she writhed on the floor… _Out on the bridge, puddles were already forming upon the uneven cobblestones, and accidentally Kitty caught a glimpse of herself—Silver strands of hair…_

_**Flash!**_

_Kitty hissed in pain her eyes tightly closed, she had landed hard on her side having bashed the left side of her forehead against the road. She opened her eyes and gazed at her blurry surroundings, as soon as Kitty's vision cleared, she gasped. A few inches away lay her locket in the rubble of the street in between someone's shoes. A whole crowd had gathered around her and the ac__cident scene, Kitty groaned. __Swiftly Kitty swiped her hand over her locket, and just barely noticed that the chain had broken, before jumping up and bolting through the crowd. As soon as the carter had seen her get up, he had dropped the number of clothes he had been busy picking up, and called after her in a fury__…_

_**Flash!**_

_In the moment of relief, Kitty had looked up at the window she had fallen from, and had seen Kadaj there staring at her with his wide blue-flecked-green eyes. He hadn't narrowed them, or smirked at her, he'd done nothing but watch her in… __fear?_

_**Flash!**_

_With a cursory glance down, Kitty checked to make sure her clothes were still in check. They were… but something was wrong. Kitty's eyes widened as soon as she saw the locket exposed so __assailable against the thin clothe of her jacket. __It has been forgotten… __Kitty __thought. Kitty__ swiftly brought her hands up to push the locket back under her jacket, but as soon as she saw her wrists she stopped. Bringing her hands up closer to her face, Kitty was able to examine them more closely. Her wrists were no longer hindered by rope. Bandages had been taped, meticulously, to parts of her wrist that had chafed during the time the brother's had held her captive. Now curious, Kitty threw the covers off of her whole body, and pulled her legs up to her chest. She then examined her ankles; they had received the same medical treatment as her wrists__…_

_**Flash!**_

_Kadaj walked forward and fell to his knees in front of the girl, he put a hand on Kitty's back, "__Shhhh__… don't fight her…," he whispered. Kitty began to sob__ "Just let her through," Kadaj soothed. His voice wasn't deadly sweet, or smug, it wasn't sarcastic or apathetic… it was actually… reassuring. "Just let yourself go. It will all be over in a second. Trust me."Another spasm of excruciating pain and Kitty was out cold__…_

_**Flash!**_

_Kitty backed away from Zack. She hated when people yelled at her. She__ bumped against something hard. __"__What the—?"__ Kitty jumped out of the way of whatever she had bumped into, and turned around. "Who are you? __Zac__—!"__Kitty barely had any time to gaze upon the deviant man's visage before he lunged at her, and smothered her mouth with his cold hand. __Cold… cold like metal.__He purred gently in her ear, "Be quiet. You don't want to die, do you?"_

_**Flash! Flash! Flash! **_

Kitty's eyes shot open. She noticed that Loz was rocking her soothingly, and crying silently.

"Don't leave us, Mother…" he whispered, "we just found you."

Kitty began to cough atrociously, "I'm n-not—" cough "—leaving you…" she whispered hoarsely, with a weak smile. Then she began to cough even harder. The burning sensation on Kitty's skin came back ten-fold.

I'm coming to feast on you little kitty-kat…

A figure emerged from the dark, and let out an enraged scream.

Loz turned with narrowed eyes, and gazed upon the obscured form of the creature. "You'll pay for trying to hurt Mother!" Loz then set upon the creature, with his Dual Hound charged to kill.

Kitty was left to fend for herself on the ground… by a window overlooking the full moon.

_**Flash! Flash! Flash! **_

_Zack began to laugh; his laugh was deep and throaty, but warm and welcoming. "You know, kid," he said, "I like you. Here," he turned to a small knap-sack laying next to him, and rummaged through it. After a few seconds, he pulled out a water canteen, "Drink this, it'll give you back your strength."_

_"Ah, you're awake! I was wondering when you'd wake up," a handsome young man sat scrambling something in a pan above a fire near where Kitty had been resting. "I'm making some scrambled eggs, if you want some," he told Kitty jovially__…_

_A feather light touch to Kitty's shoulder startled her from her desolate state. Kitty looked up to find a gorgeous young woman standing before her, clad in a flattering pink dress that flowed about her calves. The woman was smiling a gentle but sad smile.__"Are you my angel?" Kitty asked the woman in apprehension.__The woman only shook her head lightly, a thick auburn plait __swinging behind her along with the motion. "No," she laughed. Her voice was as sweet as honey.__"Then who are you? And- and where am I?"__The woman kneeled down in front of Kitty, "My name is __Aerith__, I am the guardian of this church…" she said, "and you are in __Midgar__."_

_Splish-splosh__… __splish-splosh__…. __Kitty groaned in exasperation, and rolled over. The covers on her bed felt damp… and oddly hard. __Splish-splosh__… __splish-splosh__…__ Kitty reached for her pillow— her hand met something rubbery. Kitty opened her eyes in astonishment, and found __herself__ gazing upon a beautiful white flower. She scrambled up from her spot amongst blades of grass and white and yellow buds__Kitty looked around; she was standing in a small plot of grass that had, a long time ago, broken up the wooden floor of the church, and grown to be a yard of blooming greenery. The church must have been a very beautiful place once upon a time, only a few windows were still in place, and of what Kitty could see, the glass was stained to depict of different holy scenes in each window__…_

_**Flash! Flash! Flash!**_

Kitty sat up in a bolt, beads of sweat ran down her forehead. She looked over at where there should have been a window portraying the full moon… instead there was a wall. Someone had dragged her away from where she had originally been.

"Hey, kid, drink this. Hurry, you don't have much time until it takes over you."

Kitty squinted her eyes at a blurry figure in front of her, "Zack?" her voice was only a hoarse whisper.

"Yeah… I came back… just for you, kid."

_**We no longer have control over her. The creature has touched her… now it's up to Kitty to fight what's inside of her… if she doesn't…**_

_**I know… all is lost and the world is theirs. ****

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**_

Thanks for reading! R&R, please :).


	9. Chapter 9 Belong

Author's Note: Hey guys! Here's chapter nine... sorry I took so long to update it, but you know-- writer's block and everything. Anyway... as always it's late when I submit this, so I don't have time for a huge author's note, so I just hope that you guys enjoy this. Just as a warning, I think that this chapter is sad. So yeah! Have a nice Martin Luther King., Jr. day tomorrow :).

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**CHAPTER NINE: BELONG**

"Drink it, kid, don't waste my time," Zack ordered.

Kitty obliged, and allowed the soupy-broth from Zack's canteen to enter her mouth. Warmth, similar to the first time Kitty had ever drank from the canteen, sunk into the deepest crevices of her body, and demolished the burning sensation upon the surface of her skin.

Kitty closed her eyes, at the returning strength. _Claws… honed teeth… wrinkly skin… crimson burning eyes. _

Kitty sat up, and wiped the liquid mustache above her lip away. "Where am I?" she gazed around at her surroundings… "Where's Loz?" tears came to her eyes, but she fought them back with a blink.

Zack stood up, and gave a cursory glance up and down the hallway, "I dragged you away from him."

Kitty's brows furrowed, "Why? Loz was helping me," the darn tears returned.

Zack changed the subject, "We have to go, Kitty. I'm taking you to Seventh Heaven, where you'll be safest."

An involuntary tear slipped down Kitty's cheek, and she wiped it away furiously. Kitty remembered what Zack had told her about Seventh Heaven, about how it was the only safe haven on the planet for someone 'like her.' She slowly got up, testing her strength of balance and stability on her legs; all good.

"Can you run?"

Kitty started when she felt Zack's glove-clad hand upon her shoulder, it reminded her of Kadaj's glove-clad hand in a way. Another tear fell; she looked away and swiped her right hand across her cheek. Turning back to Zack, she nodded tentatively. He was smiling gingerly at her, almost in an affectionate way… She felt timid, but returned his smile slightly. He fell for her expression of openness and didn't even see the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Follow my lead, kid," Zack began to take off at a brisk jog down the hallway, and Kitty followed as he had told her to.

A few minutes down the hall, and something occurred to Kitty. Kadaj and his brothers had taken her in… cared for her… and they had needed her. They hadn't abandoned her. She was their "mother." But what was she to Zack? Didn't he admit to being in acquaintance with Aerith, the lady who had left her all alone in the church to fend for herself? Hadn't he himself, left her alone, when Loz had attacked her?

Kitty stopped, and looked over her shoulder. She closed her eyes… if the brothers were dead then it was her fault. The creatures, would give her nightmares for weeks to come. Kitty began to tremble; she remembered the creature that had jumped on her. It's hand had burned her stomach, and it's skin had been wrinkly with scales and blisters… Kitty remembered feeling hot breath and slobber upon her collarbone and neck. She remembered how heavy it had been on top of her, and how it had knocked the breath out of her. She remembered how it had hissed and spluttered… cursing her in it's foreign language.

"Kitty! Shit, we have to go!" Zack had stopped a few yards away after noticing her absence a few feet behind him. "I swear to you that I won't harm you… trust me, kid."

Kitty stared at him, she took a step back. "Are they meeting us?"

"They? Who are you talking about, Kitty?" Zack was taken aback; he knew that the creatures were still out there.

"I'm talking about Kadaj and his brothers!" Kitty cried, her hands clenched at her sides.

Zack's visage was a medley of emotions, before he became self-conscious, and his face immediately took on an expression of indifference. "No."

Kitty backed away, and shook her head, "Then I'm not coming."

"Kitty!" Zack took a step forward, as soon as Kitty began to run back down the hall. "Kitty, don't!"

Kitty ignored Zack's calls for her to come back, and sprinted down the dark hall. "Loz!" she called out, "Loz, where are you?!" she ran harder. "Kadaj— Yazoo— anyone?!" she ran past many doors… and ran past intersections that led off to other wings of the hotel. But Kitty never turned; she continued on a straight path. Kitty began to let the tears that had been threatening to fall, cascade down her cheeks. After a few minutes she reached a panel of windows on the left side that portrayed the moon. Kitty halted, she remembered these windows… she remembered lying there by the potted plant, looking out at the moon while Loz cried above her. Kitty began to sob as she gazed around… there was blood on the floor…

"No…," Kitty cried. Had the creature eaten him? "Please… oh please no!

"Kitty!"

Kitty gasped, her head shot up, Zack was coming. She began to run again, her already dark surroundings, got even darker and blurry from the tears she produced— she needed to find them! It just couldn't be that the creatures had killed Loz… could it? Had she been out cold that whole time? Why hadn't Zack helped Loz?

Kitty racked her memory for how many turns she and Loz had made earlier. Surprisingly Kitty was able to find the left turn Loz had told her to make, and turned onto the hallway that led to the open door of the room. She yielded at the doorway, and walked into the room slowly… it was unrecognizable.

Kitty's whole posture shook as she gazed at it, she put a fist up to her mouth and bit down upon her knuckles; tears mingled with her drawn blood. Kitty crumpled to the ground, her body racked with sobs. She didn't understand why… but in the few hours with the brothers… she'd noticed how lost they had seemed. They thought she'd been their mother, and had become all protective and fatherly over her— well at least as fatherly as she thought a father could become. Kadaj had stitched her head wound up; Yazoo had played with her hair; Loz had been there for her when she had fallen down in the hallway. The three of them had been like lost puppies… seeking their master's appraisal and love. While they had needed a mother, she had needed someone to look after her— and had found that someone in three young men. They had offered her a place with them, whereas now Kitty belonged nowhere on this planet.

Looking around the room, Kitty had been able to tell that the brothers were gone. The room was empty. One bed had been split in half— wood, springs, mattress, and all— while the other bed had been turned over. Sheets and pillows lay torn all over the floor, while the lamps and other furniture had been disembodied or sliced into millions of pieces. Mingling with the remains of the white sheets and pillows… were vivid puddles of blood. Dark in contrast to the pureness of the clothe.

Kitty sobbed before it all… she didn't care that the creatures could come back… she didn't care that she was bleeding and her knuckles were hurting. All she cared about was that she had nowhere to go and no one to embrace her and tell her that everything was alright. Kitty didn't belong anywhere on this planet. She was an M&M placed amongst skittles.

"Why… why me..?" Kitty gazed up at the ceiling, "why do I have to be the recipient of all of this? Huh? Why…?" she couldn't stop crying, she chomped down on her knuckles again to smother her wails. It didn't help.

"Kitty..."

Kitty jumped, and whipped around. There, in the doorway, stood Zack… his face was twisted into an expression of sorrow and guilt. He could see that she was crying… he hadn't ever wanted to see her cry. The girl had dug deep inside of him the day she'd been born, it had been her laugh— he was sure of it— her first tiny baby laugh. He'd never wanted to leave her … but Sephiroth had gotten in the way… and that had changed everything.

Zack walked over to Kitty and kneeled down next to her. "Don't cry, my chic," he brought up a hand to wipe away her tears, but Kitty looked the other way. "Kitty?" he grabbed her bleeding knuckle and examined it.

Kitty gritted her teeth, "Why didn't you help him?"

Zack closed his eyes and inhaled, he let Kitty's bleeding hand drop, "Believe me, kid, I tried. But he told me that you were more important… so I took you away."

Kitty wiped away her tears, but they wouldn't stop coming. "Did he really say that?"

Zack flinched, "Yes." He'd never wanted to lie to Kitty either.

Without any warning, Kitty flung herself at Zack and ended up knocking him over. "I hate myself…" she whimpered, "I'm the reason. I'm the reason that they're de—"

"No," Zack interrupted passionately.

Kitty buried her head deeper into Zack's warm chest, "Yes," she sobbed choking on her tears.

Zack's face hardened, "No, you're not the reason why they are dead. It's— it's…," Zack looked away; he could not tell her. Not yet, anyway.

"So you admit… _they're_ dead, aren't they?" Kitty looked up to watch Zack's expressions.

Zack kept his face stoic, "Yes," he looked away.

Kitty buried her face into Zack's chest once again. Zack could feel her shaking in his arms. He buried his face in her hair.

"Shhhhh…," he shushed her.

Kitty cried even harder. _"__Shhhh__… __shhhhh__… Mother," it was __Kadaj__… __Kadaj__ had pushed her to the floor. "__Shhhh__shhhh__…"_ It was hard not to remember him, right now. Kitty knew that she would forever remember the brothers… from the candy bar incident… to her last image of Loz crying while holding her in his arms.

"Shhhhh…"

Kitty closed her eyes, she felt exhausted.

"Shhhhh…"

Kitty fell into a deep sleep saturated with a nightmarish dream.

_She was running up dunes of sand__. To the right of her were waves, getting taller and taller the higher she climbed the dunes. _

_**You have to hurry, Kitty-Kat. I won't wait for long.**_

_She stopped and gazed around, up above was nothing but an endless plain of black and gray clouds, to her left stretched a relentless field— soaked with the blood of dying black flowers. She looked away, sickened by the sight of death. _

_**You have to bring yourself to me. Sacrifice yourself for me. Or else he dies…**_

_"No… please…" she fell hopelessly to the sand__ and bowed her head__, "don't hurt him—please— there has to be another way!" _

_**There isn't Kitty-Kat. His soul is mine to eat. Come— or else. **_

_"Please… I'll do anything for him… but, please," she was stumbling up__ to her feet. "Please… wait for me! I'm coming…," she began to sprint. _

_A few times she stumbled and rolled down hill of the dunes, but then she only had to get up and climb back up them. "I'm coming…" she kept on saying, "please… wait." His face kept on popping up in her mind… he had gorgeous blue eyes; golden emerald swirls. _

_**Ten… nine… eight—**_

_She cried out and fell, rolling down the hill, until she reached the bottom of the hill. _

_"Kitty!"_

_The young nimble man rushed to her. There was no one near him… just her; they were alone. _

_**I wouldn't be so sure about that, Kitty-Kat. You were one second late, say goodbye to your love. **_

_Kitty's eyes widened, she saw something through the corner of her eyes, __"__Kadaj__, no!" Kitty got up, and lunged at him__. She was too late, and fell hard upon the ground— watching… just watching. _

_A shocked expression painted itself across __Kadaj's__usual nonchalant face._

_**That's right Kitty-Kat… he's mine now. This is your future. **_

_"No!" _

Kitty awoke with a start, and almost fell off of the motorbike.

"Whoa… whoa, Kid, it's alright," Zack pushed her back against his chest, "hold still, I'm trying to drive this thing."

"W-where are we?" Kitty closed her eyes; she'd never been on a motorbike, therefore she felt nauseous already. But Kitty knew that only part of her felt sick because of that, whereas the other part felt sick because of what she had just dreamt. _Kadaj__… her love?_

"We're almost to our destination," Zack answered softly.

"Seventh Heaven?" Kitty wondered out loud, depriving her eyes from sleep with a fist.

"No… Cloud. Cloud Strife."

**_Master _, do you want me to interfere now?**

**No. I want to allow her some time to get connected… then we strike.**

**Very good, Master. But my brothers… did the creatures kill them?**

**…No, I'm leaving that job up to you.**

**Good… good.**

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R&R please. There's the button right down there, my friends! Don't be lazy... I know you want to...


	10. Chapter 10 Ghost

Author's Note: Okay, here's chapter ten! It's a bit... boring... I guess... not much going on-- but I'm hoping that I'll be getting chapter eleven up and running within the course of a few more days. Anyway... I hope that this chapter is still good. Enjoy!

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**CHAPTER TEN: GHOST**

Kadaj stared out over the village. The sun was rising in the east, and along with it were a few tentative people who were beginning to walk the streets. Across the road came a baby's waking cries. Kadaj wrinkled his nose; he loathed such pesky noises.

Groaning, Kadaj adjusted his slouched position upon the railing he was leaning upon. He winced when he moved a particularly sore muscle in his stomach. Through the late hours of the night Yazoo had worked arduously in wrapping the wounds Kadaj and Loz had received from the creatures that had been after Mother. Yazoo had only received minor injuries, therefore he'd been the one to drag his brothers into an unoccupied room, and lay them to rest on the two beds.

_Mother…_ Kadaj's eyes narrowed. Someone had dragged the girl away from Loz… someone who was going to die once Kadaj figured out who he was. Yet something that Kadaj couldn't begin to fathom was: what man, on a night like the night before, goes around kidnapping vulnerable girls from dark hallways? _I promise you, Mother that we won't ever let anything happen to you. I'll find you… I promise…__ we promise._

"Kadaj…"

Kadaj didn't have to turn around to figure out which brother was approaching; he knew that Yazoo was behind him.

"You shouldn't be out of bed…," Yazoo gazed over Kadaj's shoulder. His face was, as always, impassive; unmoving, marred by the shadows of the dark room in which Loz resided in.

"Mother's been taken," Kadaj murmured, "along with her went one of our motorbikes."

"Whoever has taken her," Yazoo replied, "will die."

There came some sniffles in the other room. _Mother… Mother… I__ failed her. My brothers, please forgive me. _

"I forgive you, Loz."

* * *

"Cloud?"

"Yeah… Cloud. He's a friend," Zack replied.

"Oh…," Kitty snuggled deeper up against Zack, "what's he look like?" Kitty needed something to distract her from thinking back on her dream or thinking back on the brothers.

"You'll see," Zack smiled.

Kitty furrowed her brows, but did not say anything anymore on the subject. "How much longer?"

"I'd say an hour more."

From what Kitty could tell Zack was driving through a never ending desert of sand and rocks. It was the very same desert that the brothers had carried her hostage through… well at least it looked like the very same desert. But Kitty couldn't be too sure.

Kitty sighed and closed her eyes; she tried to think of another conversation topic that would distract her. The wind stung her face, and made her eyes water… she wished that she could have a pair of sun glasses— or even a pair of swimming goggles… no matter how weird they'd make her look.

Yawning Kitty's eyes became heavy and, as much as she tried to fight it, she couldn't stop the sleep that came over her once again. She squirmed in a vain attempt to stay awake, but Zack shushed her and told her that she should go to sleep if she was tired. So she did, with an involuntary wave of darkness, she fell fast asleep.

_**Kitty-Kat! Kitty-Kat! Didn't your friend call you that? Didn't he? Hmmm… tut-tut…**_

_She was standing in the middle of a vacant street__, staring around at the buildings and__ clear blue__ sky that trapped her in a square of air. _

_**Hmmmm**__**… let's watch the parade— 'shall we? It'll be fun Kitty-Kat—**_

_"Stop calling me that!" _

_**A little feisty**__** today**__**, aren't we? Do we need to rewind, 'Kitty-Kat,' do we need to go back to the last dream?**_

_Tears formed in her eyes, "No— please! I'll be good…"_

**_There's my 'Kitty-Kat.'_**

_She flinched, but kept quiet. _

**_Ah… here they come! Watch, my dear Kitty. _**

_A procession of hooded people came forward their arms outstretched to the heavens guiding a torrent of black and gray clouds of bristling lightening. They entered through the city's broken down walls, and In front of the ominous crowd was a bald man with golden eyes holding the chains that held a auburn haired woman captive beside him. Clary… _

_She rushed forward, "Clary!" She hit solid air that caused her to rebound against the hard brick ground of her small air cubicle. _

**_Ooh, naughty, Kitty! _**

_"Let her go!" she cried out._

**_Uh… let her go? I don't think so Kitty-Kat… not until you see what is needed to be done. _**

_"Fine! Show me… but then— please just let her go!" _

_The procession was coming towards Kitty… they didn't even see her. She didn't even exist in her little air bubble of a cell. _

_"Clary!" she called out again, but to no avail. _

**_Feel them inside you Kitty-Kat… feel their hatred for this planet… feel their complete power— absorb before you encounter them. _**

_**"**W-what?" she gasped at his words— she didn't understand them… she didn't even see him coming. _

_The golden man walked right through her, making her arch up in pain; he burned like the creature's hand. She let out a long and blood curdling scream. But that wasn't the end of it— cloaked figure after cloaked figure walked through her leaving her helpless to whoever was doing this to her. _

**_Chuckle. I've never seen such a dramatic scene before, my Kitty-Kat. Is this all the strength you have? _**

_The cloaked figures filled the street; a crowd of never ending beings. Not one of them noticed a young girl's screams… _

**_I'll let you go for now. _**

"Kitty! Kitty! Wake up, Kid! We're here…"

Kitty awoke with a start. She gazed up into Zack's periwinkle gaze in alarm, and then when Zack had moved away from her, she finally sat up. Kitty was sitting upon a small foundation of rock a few feet away from Zack's bike.

"Where is he?" she glanced around for any sign of Zack's could-be friend. Finding no one, her gaze at last landed upon Zack.

He sighed… and looked away. "He's up there, all you have to do is follow that path," he raised a finger and pointed to the left of Kitty.

Kitty looked towards where Zack pointed, and found that the path winded up like a staircase to the top of a cliff. "Are you coming?" she turned back to look at him.

Zack didn't meet her gaze, "No."

Kitty jumped off and walked over to him, she leaned to the side so as she could catch his eyes— he looked the other way.

"Why?" Kitty's brows furrowed in frustration, "How come do you keep on leaving me?"

Zack's eyes widened and then closed, "Kid… if your mother was in my place right now… she wouldn't have the guts to leave you. But I… I have to leave— there are some boundaries that I just cannot pass…"

"Mother…?" Kitty's eyes dropped in contemplation; she remembered the time when Zack had completely— like a light flickering to its death— disappeared. After a few minutes she looked up, "Are you a ghost or something?"

Zack smiled, and began to back away, "You were always a fast learner, Kitty. But now that I've gone as far as I can, I have to leave… take care now. Tell Cloud that 'Zack' sent you and tell him… your full name," he met Kitty's puzzled gaze and— with an informal wave— was devoured by a blinding white light, that swallowed him, buster sword and all, whole.

Kitty rushed forward to the place where he had been, "Zack?"

He was gone.

Tears formed in Kitty's eyes, but she blinked them away in anger. A thrumming noise alerted Kitty to the starting up of a motorbike above. Kitty looked up, and decided that this 'Cloud' couldn't be any worst off then Kadaj and his brothers had been when she first met them. Could he?

* * *

"The sun is setting," Kadaj hissed.

"I know," Yazoo had come over to check up on Kadaj, "and yet you still won't lay down and rest."

Kadaj growled, and— not considering his actions— whipped around only to fall.

Yazoo caught Kadaj with a raised eyebrow. "I told you— you need rest."

"I know! But how can I rest when Mother's out there with some man who could be raping her? Or worst…," Kadaj closed his eyes, "we need to find her— now."

Yazoo helped Kadaj back to the railing, "You're too weak, little brother. Do you really want to endanger yourself and Loz? Say it was one of those creatures… what if we found them— what would we do then?"

Kadaj gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, "I'm not weak, brother! I can handle myself just fine… Mother needs me— she needs us— and we need to get to her before the creatures beat us to her. Just give me materia, and I'll mend."

Yazoo cocked his head in boredom, "Kadaj, you can barely even lift a muscle. How are you to ride a motorbike? Besides, I've searched the room for materia a couple of times… there's none left. Loz told me that all of his materia was useless during the fight with the creature— he said that the creature was somehow able to use the material to it's own advantages, and in doing so sucked the life out of all material he had."

Kadaj bowed his head at this, and spat down upon a crowd of passing people below. "So I'm not the only one robbed from materia? That's great news!" Kadaj cried sarcastically, "did you think that I didn't know that?!"

Yazoo chuckled slightly, "Careful, dearest brother."

Kadaj snorted indignantly at Yazoo, "Go and get some more materia, brother, before I decide to throw Souba at you. I can't believe that we wasted so much time!" he spat once more at an unfortunate couple walking below him.

**_Hmmmm… your youngest brother is almost an unstable version of you, Sephiroth._**

**_No. He is nowhere like me, Master. He isn't even my brother— he is only a remnant… a piece of Mother— if he were like me, he wouldn't even have made the mistake of allowing emotions past his façade. That was and is his downfall. _**

**_Hmmmm… I see. And it wasn't your downfall, once upon a time either?_**

**_That time is long past, I assure you Master; I have no emotions left. _**

**_Hmmmmm… interesting for you to say so… _**

**_Master…? _**

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****

R&R, please!!


	11. Chapter 11 Daughter

Author's Note: I'm so sorry it's taken a week to update... but I caught another cold and ended up really sick, so I spent two days out of school this week because of it. Anyway I hope that nobody seems OOC in this chapter either.

Ummm... I want to thank my more recent reviewers for reviewing... I really love how much time you guys put into your reviews to make them lengthy and enjoyable for me to read :). Thanks for that!

Enjoy chapter eleven!

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**CHAPTER ELEVEN: DAUGHTER**

Kitty had expected a man with white hair… a scar across his eyelids… anyone but the man that she was now staring upon. She would've never… in a hundred years, have guessed that Zack's 'Cloud' was Kadaj's 'Big Brother.' Cloud was that guy who had tried to slice her and Kadaj in half with his buster sword… he'd tried to kill her back in the alleyway… And now here he stood— his back to her— staring almost in lament at a sword planted deep into the sand.

_It's a monument… _Kitty wondered if the sword marked a person's grave. She felt paralyzed, scared of the blonde man in front of her. Kitty scrambled back with wide eyes, but she was only thrown down on her back the second the rear of her foot hit a small upturned rock.

_Thump. _

Cloud's head snapped to the side, his hair rustled in the breeze, and he gazed sideways at the small girl on the ground behind him. "Who are you…?" His voice was young.

Kitty's whole body shook— he didn't recognize her? She began to stagger back… and then she remembered what Zack had wanted her to do, and that she had nowhere else to go. She stopped and shifted down from her crab position.

"I'm—"

_Zack smiled, and began to back away, "You were always a fast learner, Kitty. But now that I've gone as far as I can, I have to leave… take care now. Tell Cloud that 'Zack' sent you and tell him… your full name," he met Kitty's puzzled gaze and— with an informal wave— was devoured by a blinding white light, that swallowed him, buster sword and all, whole._

_**Tell him… your full name…**_

"I'm Katarina May Gainsborough," she declared in a shaken voice, "and Zack sent me to you."

Cloud whipped around, an expression of immense shock painted across his face. For a second there, it looked like he'd seen a ghost.

Kitty was shocked by his reaction. She'd been expecting Cloud to not believe her, she'd been expecting him to narrow his eyes— like he'd done back in the alley— and bring his buster sword down upon her. She'd expected everything but the look of realization on his face.

"Katarina…," he breathed, "is that really you?" he narrowed his eyes at her, as if really trying to calculate her features.

Kitty sat up awkwardly, "Yeah… I guess," she smiled sheepishly at him, "but I usually go by the name Kitty."

"It can't be… but…," Cloud stepped closer cautiously, "you are Aerith's daughter aren't you?"

Kitty's eyes widened, "W-what?" had she heard the guy right?

Cloud came closer so as he was but two steps away; Kitty was frozen to the spot. "Turn around," he whispered.

Kitty looked up at him with fear.

He chuckled softly, "Don't worry I won't hurt you."

With his assurance, Kitty obliged to his request, and turned around. She immediately closed her eyes when she felt the sensation of his fingers pulling thick strands of her hair up into a pony tail. Yazoo had let it down… Yazoo had done this first…

Holding her hair up with one hand, allowing a few strands to fall over Kitty's shoulder and across her face, Cloud told Kitty to turn back around. Kitty did as she was told, and as soon as she turned to face Cloud he inhaled sharply.

"You look just like her," he breathed.

Kitty noted that the pupils in both of Cloud's eyes had become nothing more than deflated slits. Was he talking about her Mother?

"W-who again?" she began wondering if maybe Cloud was referring to the similarity between her and Kadaj's color of hair. Perhaps Cloud had gone delusional and believed Kadaj to be her mother… But then again how could he be referring to Kadaj? For surely Kadaj looked more like a male than a female…

"Aerith…your mother," he murmured.

Kitty's eyes widened— she had heard Cloud right— "Aerith…?" Kitty stumbled back and grasped her locket that she'd placed in a pocket in her shorts. _Can it be…? Was the lady who abandoned me at the church… my mom? _

Cloud watched her impassively, yet when Kitty looked up into his eyes, she saw sincerity despite his cold demeanor.

"Please… will you take me to my mom?" Kitty begged him in a soft voice.

Vivid grief shot across Cloud's features, plus some other emotion that she couldn't quite decipher.

"W-what's wrong?" Kitty squeezed the locket in her hand. She remembered Zack admitting to her that he was in touch with Aerith… well at least she'd seen the look in Zack's eyes when she had uttered Aerith's name; the look of familiarity and concealed knowledge.

"Is she… dead?" Kitty wondered if the lady at the church had only been the spirit of her supposed mother. Perhaps Aerith's spirit had been sent down to soothe her… But if Aerith was her mother then that would mean Kitty belonged—

"Yes…," Cloud was contemplating something, "… we all thought you were dead… too," he looked Kitty in the eyes at this and then reached an uncertain hand out for her cheek. Within contact with Kitty's skin, Cloud closed his eyes briefly and stood stock still. His eyes flickered open.

_Is he making sure I'm not just an illusion? _Kitty watched the swirl of emotions in Cloud's eyes. _Disbelief… a flicker of guilt… concern… affection… and a flicker of some dark shadow…_

He breathed; a sound of despondency. "Come on kid, I'll take you home."

* * *

Kadaj shifted in his sleep.

_A pounding of bare feet against marble floors... the hem of her dress turning the corner… __he could hear __his brother's calls __far behind him._

_"Kitty-__kat__!" her nickname slipped from in between his lips and echoed down the halls. _

Kadaj turned in bed and groaned.

_It was only a game to her. _

_He heard her giggle from a hall to the right, and then call back__ to him__, "You can't catch me!" He rounded the corner… his eyes widened… he watched her trip and fall…_

_"Katarina—no!"_

_She fell over the bridge… _

_Recklessly he ran after her, and without thinking, followed her overboard. But he jumped without thought…_

Kadaj shot up in bed, breathing heavily.

"Did Mother send you a bad dream again, little brother?"

Kadaj searched the dark room for Yazoo, and found him leaning with a smirk against the far wall.

Kadaj leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes, "No. The dream focused upon Mother's vessel."

Yazoo came forward and sat down on the foot of Kadaj's bed; he could tell something was bothering his younger brother. "Go on."

"And," Kadaj opened his eyes and stared unseeingly at the ceiling, "I was chasing her… just I was younger, and barefooted."

Yazoo raised an eyebrow, "Anything else?"

"We were in a castle—"

"Hmmm?"

"It was above the clouds…," Kadaj looked over at Yazoo with an unreadable gaze, "I chased her to this bridge and— the moment she turned around to look at me she fell into the sky…"

"That's not what's bothering you is it?"

Kadaj let out a soft groan, "It felt like déjà vu."

"The dream?"

"Yeah…," Kadaj closed his eyes yet again, "ever since after the lifestream… I've been doing a lot of thinking… Have you ever believed in a second life, Yazoo?"

Yazoo got up from the bed, "Do _you _believe in a second life, little brother?" he shot back.

Kadaj frowned and changed the subject, "Has Loz come back yet?"

"Yes, he says they're ready."

"And the materia…? Do you still have some left, for Mother?"

"Yes."

Kadaj sat up, "Then let's go find her," he grabbed Souba from the bedside table— his pale reflection flashed in Souba's blade— he sheathed her and followed his brother out of the room.

* * *

Edge reminded Kitty of San Francisco. All of the houses and buildings were crammed together on either sides of the street, and the sidewalks were cacophonous with billions of people.

"Cloud…?" Kitty tightened her hold around Cloud's waist; this was her second ride on a motorbike today… and she wasn't exactly happy about it.

Cloud risked a glance over his shoulder at the small girl.

From his glance, Kitty took it as permission to go on with her question, "W-who was my dad?"

The motorbike took a swerve in the middle of the road for no apparent reason, causing a few car horns to sound around Cloud and Kitty.

Kitty buried her head into Cloud's back, "Sorry…," she whispered.

Cloud heard Kitty's apology, and glanced sideways as if silently regretting something. "Hold on," he spoke only for her ears, "we're almost there."

Kitty nodded her head in acknowledgement. _Another place to be kept away from who I really am…if only it had been different— _Kitty's head snapped up… she'd been thinking of the brother's a lot. It was all her fault that they were dead… _all my fault. _She wondered what it would've been like, if the creatures hadn't interposed… maybe she wouldn't be thinking about how alone in the world she really was now. Or maybe she would've found out anyway.

Cloud pulled his motorbike up in front of a small brown building along one of the streets.

Kitty looked up at it. In a way the building was very welcoming... above one flawless glass window were thirteen flashing neon red letters that read Seventh Heaven. A warm welcoming name.

"It's a bar…," Kitty whispered to herself. Curious, Kitty gazed up at Seventh Heaven's top floor. There, Kitty spotted a small square piece of paper taped to one of the three windows present. _I wonder what it says… _Kitty's attention was quickly averted when the motorbike quivered from under her— Kitty looked up.

Cloud gracefully dislodged himself from his bike, "Need help?" he offered Kitty a gloved hand.

Kitty took it absentmindedly and jumped off of the immense vehicle, "Thanks," she gave Cloud a small appreciative smile.

Cloud nodded and gestured for her to follow him.

The small path up to the door was aligned with vibrant spring flowers. Kitty took it all in from the flowers to the creaky wooden steps of the porch, to the swing hanging in front of a window to the right. She hoped that she wasn't being led to some imprisonment.

Cloud knocked on the door.

While they waited, Kitty glanced over her shoulder, at Cloud's bike. It wasn't too late for her to just turn back right now… hop on the bike and ride away, right? _Who am I kidding…? _Kitty closed her eyes, Zack had told her that Seventh Heaven was a safe haven— and by the definition of 'safe haven,' Seventh Heaven couldn't be a prison for fourteen year old girls.

The door swung open.

Kitty jumped.

"Cloud?"

A young woman stood in the doorway. She had long brown hair and a gentle face. She was clad in a small leather shirt and a flowing leather black skirt. Her visage beheld the simple expression of surprise, as she gazed at her visitors.

"Tifa, this is Katarina Gainsborough— _Aerith's _daughter," Cloud stepped aside to present Kitty.

Kitty gazed up into Tifa's disbelieving gaze.

* * *

R&R, please-- you know you want to P


	12. Chapter 12 Don't Leave Me

Author's Note: Wow... this is probably my greatest masterpiece yet... but we'll see what you guys think. I was kind've crying at the end of the chapter... it was very emotional for me to write:). Hmmm... oh yeah! Sorry about the late update again... I kind've had writers block... and other things I had to do.

I want to thank Robo-Kyo for pointing out that Tifa actually wears shorts with a flowing piece of clothe behind, instead of a skirt. Yeah... sorry about that, sheepish smile, I really am trying though to get the characters right. So if you think anything's wrong with one of them, feel free to point it out to me.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE: ****DON'T LEAVE ME**

_She was in a field, standing immobile amongst a sea of jade-green grass and white and yellow flowers. She was wondering if she would be subjected to something nightmare-__ish. _

_Her heart beat in her chest— she tried to move… an arm… a leg… but she couldn't. She wondered if she was once again encumbered by some invisible force. An invisible force that trapped her within a small enclosed box of air… _

_Suddenly she couldn't breathe! Gasping for breath, she fell to her knees— disappearing into the sea of flora—the ground swallowed her whole._

_She barely had time to scream, before she was standing on her own two feet once more. She no longer stood in a flowery __meadow;__ she now stood__ in a room. The room was capacious, with high arched floor-to-ceiling windows, a long mahogany table with many chairs running its length, and a fire blazing in a nearby hearth._

_"Where am I?" she knew that she was dreaming— she tried to return back to consciousness— but could not, for the life of her, open her eyes. Panic began to rise up, like a series of relentless moth wings brushing up the insides of her stomach. She could tell something was just about to happen… _

_A door from across the room creaked __open;__ a tall imposing figure came quietly into the room. All that she could see of him was that he had long silver hair… and he was wearing a long flowing black cloak._

_"You there!"_

_Her heart skipped a beat; for a second she thought maybe he had seen her, but then she saw __**him. **_

_"Kadaj…," she breathed. He stood motionless by a window— not in his trademark leather— but in a white hooded robe, rimmed in gold. He was younger, perhaps fourteen … she could tell from his younger features, and from how much smaller he now was. _

_"Didn't I tell you yesterday that this room was off limits?"_

_Kadaj didn't move, or even show any sign he had heard the man._

_"Hello…?" the man shot an arm out and caught Kadaj by the shoulder, "I'm talking to you!"_

_Kadaj was forced to turn around, and when he did, she saw the blank impassive look on his face. It scared her; she was reminded of the visage of someone who has given up in life. _

_She closed her eyes and assured herself that this was only a dream._

_"Who are you?" the man demanded of the boy, "Are you another lost spirit? Well heavens up there," the man pointed a finger up indicating the way. But noticing the boy's continual silence, the man peered closer into Kadaj's eyes__, "Were your vocal chords cut our… or something? Speak you insolent boy!"_

_Something flashed in Kadaj's eyes— something she was able to depict as raw anger. Her own eyes widened in fear for what he might do._

_"Do you have any idea who I am?" Kadaj's voice was low and dangerous. But somehow it was enough to make the tall man back away. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"_

_She greatly wished this was only a dream… _

_"N-no...," the man was stumbling back. Now that she could see him, she saw that he had similar features to all three— Yazoo, Loz, and Kadaj. __"I had no idea, sir— p-please forgive me," the man made a feeble bow and backed quickly out of the room. _

_As she watched this, she became greatly aware of the sound of snickering. She glanced around._

_"You can come out now, Kitty-Kat," Kadaj had turned back to looking out of the window, but there was something different about him now that the man was gone; something more relaxed and affectionate… _

_A small seven year old girl, clad in a gown of blue satin came running out from behind a couch, which had been set in the far right-hand corner. The girl ran over to Kadaj and grinned up at him innocently, "How come you won't do that for me?" _

_"Because," Kadaj raised a hand and let his fingers touch the window in front of him, "Kitty, if your grandmother figured out we were here she would have us kicked out__. My brothers and I… well… we did something bad… something in the past."_

_She backed up, __**Kitty…?**__**What type of a dream is this? **__She'd never in a million years have thought that she might dream of something like this… It felt familiar— the setting, the voices, and the way the sun shone down upon the younger version of __herself__— almost like déjà vu. _

_"What do you mean, Kadaj?" the younger Kitty tugged on Kadaj's sleeve, "you said that you were a good spirit… you didn't lie to me— did you?"_

_**Spirit…? **_

_"I told you, Kitty, that I wasn't exactly a spirit either… you must understand that," he turned his head a fraction to gaze down at her. "Spirits are able to go to heaven, I can't, and yet I'm not alive. I'm… something that wasn't meant to be… let's leave it at that…"_

_Younger Kitty shook her head, "But you are! You were meant to be," the small girl threw h__er small arms around Kadaj's waist and buried her head in his side. "Please don't leave me!" _

_Kadaj looked astonished for a second, but then he wrapped his arms around the small girl that had become attached to him— literally. "Hey… I won't leave you..."_

_She could see the guilt in his eyes. _

Kitty woke up with a start. It had been a week since she'd been dropped off at Seventh Heaven. Tifa had welcomed her in and had treated her like she was her own. She'd fed her, examined the stitches on her forehead, given her clean clothes, and a room to stay in. Kitty had been extremely grateful— was extremely grateful— yet everything that Tifa did for her, could not remedy the pain of the week before.

Even the chocolate bar she had been given a few nights ago hadn't been enough to cheer her up. It had only reminded her of the brothers.

"Where's Shin-Ra?" she had asked Tifa that night. Tifa had given her a confused look.

"You don't know?" she had asked.

When Kitty shook her head, Tifa had looked uneasily over at Cloud, and Cloud had, in-turn, explained to her that Shin-Ra was a company that had once ruled the world. That was all that he told her, and she didn't care to badger him about it.

The same night Kitty had asked about Shin-Ra, she'd awoken screaming; she'd had a nightmare of those creatures chasing her through pitch dark woods. The next night she woke up crying; she'd relived the night the brother's had died. Yesterday night she'd woken up on the floor in a tangle of sheets; she'd witnessed Zack lying in a pool of his own blood, staring up at the cloudy sky with a blank expression upon his face. Tonight she had woken up from a dream that made no sense what-so-ever.

"Kitty?"

It was Marlene, the young eight-year-old girl she now shared a room with. A little over a week ago Kitty had stepped into Seventh Heaven, she'd been taken by the shoulders and examined by Tifa, and then— when Tifa had let her go and stepped back— Marlene had come into view.

"Aerith?" Kitty had shaken her head at Marlene's questioning tone. Marlene had then run off, Kitty didn't see her until a few hours later. Over the course of the next few days, Marlene had taken it upon herself to adopt Kitty as her older sister. She told Kitty that since she didn't have a mommy like herself, then Kitty was welcome in her own family. Kitty hadn't known what to say… so she had just smiled and told Marlene that she'd love that. Ever since then, Marlene had been following Kitty everywhere. But Kitty didn't mind the company— strangely enough she enjoyed it. Especially since Marlene was a bit of a welcoming distraction; the girl knew how to make you laugh… and Kitty loved that about Marlene.

"Kitty…?"

"I'm here," Kitty answered.

The room was dark. Kitty could barely even see the hand she had raised to scratch above her stitches. It was absurdly dark… Kitty shifted on the bed.

"Can I turn on the light?" Marlene had a small timid voice when she addressed Kitty. It was almost as if Marlene were afraid Kitty might reject her if she said something wrong; Kitty knew the feeling. She had used the same tone of voice when addressing girls at the beginning of her high school year. It hurt to be rejected; it hurt even more to be alone.

"Sure, go ahead," Kitty choked back the tears that were threatening to fall. She still hadn't gotten used to the idea that she wasn't on earth anymore… she still hadn't gotten used to the idea that her aunt might be dead because of her. She should have called the police right away— perhaps then, she wouldn't have gotten into this predicament. Perhaps then Kadaj and his brothers wouldn't be dead… perhaps then she wouldn't be alone.

The light on the nightstand in between Marlene and her own bed, switched on. Sitting up was Marlene, her hair disheveled and her face expressing concern. That was another thing that Kitty had learned about Marlene, she was smart; smarter than most girls with her stature.

"Another dream?" Marlene gave Kitty her full attention.

Kitty nodded softly, "Yeah…"

"What was it about?"

The past couple of night's Marlene had asked the same question, and in turn Kitty would explain each dream in detail. She was happy to have someone to talk to… even if that someone was six years younger than herself. But before Kitty could describe her dream tonight, there came the sound of a motorcycle coming up the street.

Both Kitty and Marlene looked towards the window across the room.

The motorcycle was coming up the street. Kitty wondered who could be riding it at such an ungodly hour of the night. The sound of the motorcycle's engine— high and gruff— suddenly cut off in front of Seventh Heaven.

"Cloud! Cloud's back!" Marlene had gone from confused to gleeful in only a time of mere minutes. She jumped up off of her bed and headed for the window.

"The bar isn't open…" Kitty told herself out loud, _Tifa's__ not awake… _Her eyebrows furrowed, was it really Cloud? She remembered his departure earlier the other day; Tifa had hugged him, and he had stood there awkwardly out in the front yard, a sight for her and all of the other children to witness. He'd given Kitty and Marlene a small smile of goodbye and then had left… he'd departed upon the only vehicle Kitty had ever hated in her life— she didn't count a wheelbarrow as a vehicle, she counted it as a cart for the dead. So… how could Cloud just be returning— she'd heard from gathered information that he lived in Aerith's church. She hadn't told Cloud that she'd been there… she hadn't told him that she didn't belong to this world… what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

"That's funny," Marlene's voice averted Kitty's attention, "there's no one there…"

Kitty hoisted herself up out of bed, and walked over to Marlene. "What do you mean no one's there?" Kitty looked out of the window, yet Marlene was right, all that was there was a motorbike; not Cloud's but someone else's. "Hmmm… perhaps a neighbor's?"

Marlene shook her head slightly, "None of our neighbors own a motorbike."

Something in Kitty told her that something was terribly wrong… but she wouldn't listen to it. She was safe here… after all. Zack had told her so... hadn't he?

* * *

(Two hours ago)

_Kadaj was standing upon a small hill. Both the hill and the flat-land all around it had grass, as black as coal that whispered like a rattlesnake's rattle. He was gazing down, his hair frolicking in the wind, at a bald man who looked panicked. _

_"Please! Please…," the bald man was on his knees, looking up to the blackened sky. _

_Kadaj didn't even blink, when the sky responded. _

_**"You fool! I told you that it wasn't the aunt that I wanted, but the girl. Yet your fancies obviously got the best of you… Hmmm…**__** perhaps I'll send my hounds after you…"**_

_**"**__Please—please, no!" _

_**"No? Would you rather die and not go to the land I promised you?"**_

_**"**__Please, give me a second chance!" the man was crying. _

_Kadaj only stared apathetically at him; he didn't even move an inch. Only his hair moved… not even a sure sign that he was even alive. _

_**"A second chance?**__** You ask for a second chance when you've failed me more than once?"**_

_"Please, I promise you— my god— that I will capture her this time."_

_**"Oh you promise?" **_

_"I promise— yes! Yes!" the man nodded in enthusiasm. _

_There was a pause from the sky. _

_Then, __**"I will grant you this request… but it will be your last chance. If you fail me again— then you won't live in the afterlife I promised you."**_

Kadaj was awoken in the dead of the night by the sound of a motorbike; he sat up from where he lay in the grass. "Yazoo! Loz! Wake up," he hissed. Not waiting for his brothers, Kadaj stood up quickly and ran behind a tree right beside the road.

The motorbike was coming quickly; its velocity couldn't have been less than one-hundred miles per an hour. As it came up the road, Kadaj could see enough of the vehicle, to recognize that it was the exact type of edition the creatures' motorbikes had been. The exact version of motorbike… the creatures were after Mother.

His excitement of having found a way to get to Mother soon was overrode by the dawning realization that the creature would get there first.

"Damnit all!" Kadaj shot back into the woods, and found his brothers still asleep upon the small glade of grass they had found. He kicked both of them in the sides, and when that didn't wake Loz he bent down and shook him savagely.

"What is it, now?" Yazoo watched Kadaj shake Loz awake with boredom.

Kadaj didn't look at Yazoo when he spoke, "I've found Mother— a creature is going after her right now," Kadaj growled in frustration when he let go of Loz, and Loz fell to the ground deeply asleep.

Yazoo's eyes lit up slightly at the mention of Mother. When Yazoo noticed that Loz wouldn't wake he simply said, "He drank booze," and then he stood and headed off to the motorbikes. Loz was a lost cause for the time-being.

Kadaj spat on the ground in disgust, "Come back here Yazoo! You're taking him with you… I'll go on ahead."

Yazoo gave Kadaj an irritated look when he passed, but Yazoo did not protest. He knew how important it was to get to Mother before the creature got her… that is if the creatures didn't already have her…

* * *

"Do you suppose that it's Cloud, then?" Kitty kept her eyes trained on the motorbike.

"No. That's not his bike," Marlene frowned slightly.

Suddenly there came the sound of glass shattering down in the kitchen. Marlene jumped and Kitty's eyes widened.

"Get Tifa," Kitty looked down upon Marlene in alarm, "hurry— I think—"

Something called out to Kitty… an impervious magnetic force that slammed her up against a wall. When the force let go of her, she fell to the floor shaken up badly.

Marlene cried out and rushed to her, but Kitty told her that Tifa was more important right now. Marlene tentatively backed out of the room, and that was when the magnetic pull came back. Kitty barely had time to yelp when she was yanked up from the floor, pulled to the door— her toes hardly touching the floor— and out into the hallway.

Tifa was just being pulled from her room, by Marlene. When her eyes caught sight of Kitty, she cried out in shock, and then began to run after her. Marlene just stood in Tifa's wake; eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

"Kitty, grab onto the stair rail!" Tifa commanded of her.

Kitty was just about to be tossed down the stairs, when she— in some last attempts to keep from falling— caught a hold of the stair railing. The railing halted her for a few seconds, but with a tug and a hitch of breath, Kitty was ripped from the railing.

"Kitty!" Tifa had been almost to Kitty's aide, yet she'd been too late.

Kitty flew through the air, with nothing other than some force of physics. Her eyes were closed tight, so as she wouldn't have to see the wall she was about to hit.

The impact never came… Instead Kitty found herself being yanked to the left, and then she fell upon something soft. When she opened her eyes, she saw that it was a couch, she had landed upon. Panic gripped Kitty— she was afraid that the magnetic force might come back— she jumped up off the couch.

"Ti—" she tried to call out to Tifa but something forced Kitty's mouth to a close, almost instantly her hands went up to try and pry it open.

"Ah… isn't magic wonderful?"

Kitty whipped around in indignation, and found the golden-eyed, bald man sitting there— comfortably— upon the couch. Her attention went back and forth, between him and the sound of someone coming down the staircase.

Tifa came into sight down the steps, calling out Kitty's name. But as soon as she saw the man sitting upon her couch, her eyes widened and she halted in her descent. Slowly she began to back up, hoping that the man hadn't seen or heard her… but she was unfortunate. With a flick of his wrist, the man had stilled her like a statue.

Kitty cried out in anguish, "What did you do to her!" she flew forward in an attempt to attack the man, but was only rendered paralyzed like Tifa had been.

"I didn't do anything, I merely flicked my wrist," the golden-eyed man smirked. "Now, where were we?"

Kitty couldn't talk, she could merely blink and breath through her nose.

"Oh yes…," the man settled back into the couch, and spread his arms over it's back. "I was going to mention that killing your aunt was pure entertainment in itself… you should of seen the amount of blood that exuded from her, after I disembodied her— ha! It was gorgeous!"

Kitty made a choking sound in the back of her throat, but that was all the sound she could make.

The golden-eyed man stood up and made his way over to Kitty, as soon as he reached her, he trailed a finger down the length of her cheek.

"What a beauty you are…," he breathed into her ear, "My god didn't say anything about not harming you… I think that a bit of harm won't kill you," he snuggled up against her, and breathed in her scent.

Kitty closed her eyes tight, as soon as she felt his lips against her cheek— he hadn't shaved in a while. Her eyes opened wide in protest, when she felt one of his hands snake up beneath her shirt. She wanted to move away— she wanted to shout and kick him in his most prized place. But she was paralyzed— the man was some wizard… or something. He wouldn't let her go… a dawning of realization on what situation she was in made something feral in Kitty awaken. Her skin began to warm up.

"Hmmmm…, you're getting a little hot baby," the golden-eyed man murmured, "Hmmmm, feels good."

Something was thawing…

The man pushed Kitty down upon the couch; she thumped down upon it like the mannequin she now was. He followed suit, lying down upon her.

Something was screaming… something was erupting inside of her.

The man gave a cry of excruciating pain, and jumped off of Kitty. She burned like the flames of an inferno.

Kitty found that she could move— and move she did. Swiftly she jumped off of the couch, and ran towards the door, finding her voice she began to sob violently. The man followed in hot pursuit, screaming obscenities at her. She yanked the door open, and flew down the steps out onto the front path, and into the street. She didn't notice when the man stopped screaming at her... she didn't notice when he went quiet behind her.

It had begun to rain, something that the clouds let sporadically fall all week long. Kitty half ran half walked through the street, her arms hugging herself for comfort, a dark shape running after her…

"Help! Help!" she screamed, choking on her tears. "Please! Someone!"

A few lights in upstairs rooms all along the street switched on, curtains were swiped aside, and heavy-lidded men and women gazed out upon a small hapless girl. None of them saw the man following her amongst the shadows.

The sound of another motorbike was becoming audible to Kitty's ears. She ran towards the sound, she didn't even think of the possibilities of danger, she just ran towards it. She'd just about been raped… she was scared and didn't care. She wanted to get away.

The rain obscured her vision, yet she could see the motorbike's approaching headlights.

She tried to scream out for help again, but her legs gave out from under her, and she fell to the puddles of water in the street.

The motorbike screeched to a halt a few feet in front of her.

"Mother?"

Kitty's eyes widened, but she was too weak to lift her head.

Black leather boots came into Kitty's vision.

"Shit! Your stitches, Mother."

Kitty's head was swimming in an ocean of consciousness and unconsciousness. She could feel two arms wrapping around her, pulling her into warmth— she squirmed in fear— _not again! _

"Shhh… it's me, Mother… don't worry I've got you."

Kitty's head was propped up, and she looked up into starry blue eyes, "Don't leave me… Please... don't let him get me, sir."

And she was out cold.

* * *

Please big puppy eyes, review! It's not so hard, there's the button right down there, see?


	13. Chapter 13 Dreams

Author's Note: Hey everyone, I'm back! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long... It's just I had major writers' block... and to top it all off, my wrist has been acting up. Anyway I want to thank my recent reviewers: thank you to puppypower01, Deserted Child, WhiteStarburst, Yazoo IS Superior, laiastar, bebe123456, Sunset Dreams, and Freedom Rionach. Cheers to you all! Without your kind words, I probably wouldn't have bothered to put this up today. Thank you.

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: **

"Kitty! Kitty! Oh my god!" Tifa stopped short, her eyes wide.

Kadaj was still kneeling, holding Kitty tight to his chest. His hair cascading down with the bow of his head, he looked up at Tifa.

"Don't come any closer," he threatened.

Tifa shook her head slowly, "What did you do to her— oh my god! What happened?!" her hand flew to her mouth. All she could see was the blood streaming down Kitty's face. She couldn't think of anything else but the worst. She didn't take one step forward. She was afraid Kadaj might kill Kitty. But she didn't even know Kadaj…

"Back away," Kadaj's voice was becoming even more perilous.

"No."

Kadaj whipped his head around only to find Cloud standing there; buster sword drawn. "Wake up, Mother! Wake up!" he whispered urgently to the small girl in his arms, as he watched Cloud.

Kitty didn't even stir. Her hands subconsciously clasped onto Kadaj's leather, and held onto him fast.

_Don't leave me…_

"Let go of her," Cloud clutched tightly to his sword. How Kadaj had managed to come back to life, Cloud couldn't fathom him kneeling there, alive.

_It's not possible…_

"Don't cower behind her," Cloud spat, "fight me, and we'll settle this."

Kadaj's free hand went to his Souba's hilt.

"_No. We're here, little brother. Just keep Mother stable— we'll take care of Big Brother."_

Kadaj hugged kitty closer now with both arms. "No," he reciprocated with a slow deviant smile.

Cloud's brows furrowed, but before he could do anything there was a cry of alarm from Tifa. Without warning Cloud was knocked unconscious. As he crumpled to the ground, both Yazoo and Loz appeared from the shadows.

Now Tifa began to back away, "You…," her eyes were trained upon Loz.

Loz smirked at her.

"Mother…?" Yazoo walked over to Kadaj, and kneeled down next to him. His eyes didn't even widen as he gazed down at the trail of blood running down Kitty's face. "She needs to be cleaned up, and re-stitched."

Kadaj nodded absentmindedly. The periphery of his vision caught Loz walking towards the raven-haired woman, yet he couldn't have cared less. "You know what she said before conking out like this, brother?" he raised his head a fraction towards Yazoo.

"No. What did she say?" Yazoo tilted his head in curiosity.

Kadaj looked down at Kitty, and brushed away a stray strand of hair. "She said: 'Don't leave me sir… Don't let him get me…"

Yazoo stood up, and looked all around into the darkness. "Who? Don't let who get to her?"

"She didn't say," Kadaj murmured.

Far away, in the enigmatic world of Kitty's dreams, she faced a nightmare.

_He was just standing there…_

_"__Kadaj__…?" she ventured a step forward, and laid a hand upon his shoulder. "I'm scared," she whispered to him. "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do… this necklace— what type of power does it hold within?"_

_Silence. Kadaj was tense under her touch._

_"You told me that—"_

_Kadaj whipped around and lunged at her. From Kadaj's back there grew wings, and from the starry blue color of Kadaj's eyes there grew a misty cloud __of crimson. He took a hold of her throat— their bodies a tangle of limbs— and__ he__ strangled her._

_"Kadaj…," she gasped. She was crying, and trying to push his hands from her throat. They wouldn't budge, "Please…!"__ tears were choking her. _

_He was rising up into the air__, now. He__ whipped around and made to slam her into the wall, yet she went right through it— him following in pursuit._

_They were suddenly a jumble of tumbling bodies. When they finally rolled to a stop, at the bottom of a hill, Kadaj was on top of her. His glinting silver hair tickled her cheeks, she giggled slightly and gazed up into his eyes. They weren't red, and he no longer was burdened with heavy black wings. He returned her smile. _

_With a quick mischievous glance sideways, she saw that they were laying in a field of Aerith's elegant white a__nd yellow flowers. Her mother's flowers…_

_She glanced back up at Kadaj. He seemed breathless somehow, her own breath hitched. He leaned down, slowly, teasing her… and captured her lips with his own. He took the lead, and began to ease her into it. His tongue played __gingerly__ upon her lower lip. She didn't know what he wanted, until his tongue pressed firmly up against the line in between her lips._

_She shifted beneath him; she could feel all of him pressed up against her. She could feel the movement of his taut muscles, and the shapes that he traced lucidly upon her back. She parted her lips for him._

_And the ground opened up underneath her, sending them spiraling down._

_"Don't let go!" she cried, "Please…," his hands were slipping from hers. They were spinning together— from his back grew those dreadful black wings… and yet they were helpless; weak._

_"Kadaj!" she screamed out in agony._

_His hands slipped from he__rs_

_And they were tumbling; two beings through an ethereal sky of a glowing mélange of color._

Kitty awoke with a start, only to find herself staring into Kadaj's piercing eyes. She cried out in alarm.

Kadaj immediately stifled her yelp with one of his pale hands. He was kneeling down above her. "Shhhh…," he smiled with childish delight, "we've got you Mother."

Kitty glanced around, while slowly prying his fingers away from her mouth. She was on a pallet laid out next to three sleeping bags on the floor of a small vacant room. Two windows, to the right, were the only source of bright light the room contained. She gave the room another cursory glance, and was still not satisfied. There was raw fear in her heart. Fear of this all being an illusion cast by that bald man.

"A-am I dreaming?" she glanced back up at Kadaj. She'd had many dreams in which she'd awake, and yet she was only dreaming. Perhaps this wasn't an illusion after all.

Kadaj was dead, along with his brothers.

She watched as the expression on Kadaj's face became a mar of thought. Pain tugged at her heart. She wished this was for real. Suddenly he spoke, "Can you feel this, Mother?" he reached out and pinched Kitty's arm— hard.

"Oww!" she cried. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go.

"Can you feel this?" he repeated himself.

"Yes...!" she gasped.

Satisfied, Kadaj let go. "Well then, Mother, you aren't dreaming."

Kitty stared at him for a long moment. Unmoving. Unseeing. She couldn't process what she'd just heard…

As soon as Loz and Yazoo walked in through the open doorway to the left— her heart skipped a beat in joy. Her face lit up like a flame, and she darted off the bed and threw her arms around Kadaj.

He stumbled a bit out of surprise, and held his arms out above her head.

"You're alive! You're alive!" she cried out.

When Kadaj pushed her away gently, he saw that she was crying. Human weakness; he felt disgusted. But he eschewed this strong feeling to the side, and gave her a small sincere smile. "Yes. We're alive, Mother," he brushed another stray strand of dark hair out of her face without even thinking. Her ponytail was coming undone.

Kitty blushed at this simple act of affection and averted her gaze.

"Hey…," Loz whined, "don't I get a hug?"

Kitty quickly turned away from Kadaj— but he had already seen her cheeks flush with crimson. Something tugged at his heart. It was a foreign pull of excitement.

"_She's beautiful isn't she…?" _Yazoo's voice broke interloped Kadaj's mind. Kadaj locked gazes with Yazoo, as Kitty gave Loz a huge hug. She was so small compared to his bulky physique.

Kadaj's eyes narrowed. "_What are you talking about, dearest brother?" _

Yazoo merely smirked, "_I felt that a few minutes ago. Remember that I have the ability to sense your feelings, dear brother." _He looked down at his nails in nonchalance, "_But don't worry, I just love her as a Mother— even a younger sister most of the time." _

Kadaj felt like lunging at Yazoo in that moment. How could Yazoo even suggest such a thing? But he gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and turned his back upon them.

Kitty pulled away from Loz with some difficulty, and turned to Yazoo, who was staring at her with thought.

"I don't understand," she frowned, "how'd you guys get away from those creatures back there? I thought they'd… killed you."

Kadaj turned back to face her, "We didn't… they just suddenly left," he watched her face take on a pale sheen. "What?" he frowned, "What is it?"

Kitty began to back away, but bumped into Yazoo who deliberately placed himself in front of her. "Mother, I think it's time for you to tell us who is after you."

"I… I…," she looked from one brother to the other, "I don't know! Seriously!" they still didn't know that she wasn't from this world. They still didn't know that some bald man had just about raped her. The latter, she wanted to keep to herself.

"Mother, are you lying to us?" Kadaj walked forward— something lurched inside of her, as she gazed at him. He was gorgeous beyond measure— he gripped her by her chin. He made her look him in the eye.

Kitty began to struggle. There was something dark coming, something far away… yet something coming swiftly. Her eyes widened at this sixth sense. There was something else too— something even closer.

"Let go of me…," she ripped her chin from his hand, avoiding his gaze, and twisted into a run. But both Yazoo and Loz got in her way, and hindered her from reaching the door. "Please…," she looked to Loz. His expression visibly softened, she looked to Yazoo who was intensely observing her; not even a soft gleam shone in Yazoo's eyes. "Please— I… I think those creatures are following my scent— and if so, I need to get back to Seventh Heaven."

"No."

Kitty spun around and glared up at Kadaj, "Do you have any idea who lives there?"

"Children, right?"

Kitty's eyes widened. She had no idea that Kadaj was so heartless. She assumed that she hadn't been around him for so long, to notice this. Was he only kind to her because he thought she was his Mother? What would he do once they figured she wasn't their Mother?

"Yes. Children live there," her eyes were welling up with fresh tears. "Do you guys really not care?"

"Mother…," Loz whined pitifully from behind Kitty.

"What makes me your Mother, anyway? Are you guys really so desperately lonely?" she felt trapped.

Kadaj looked furious.

With a flash of movement, Kitty suddenly found herself on the floor. She was gazing up at an enraged Kadaj being held back by Loz.

"Let me go!" Kadaj shouted at Loz, "she deserves to be punished."

Yazoo set forth, "Stop it!" he shouted. Kitty couldn't believe Yazoo's sudden change of character. She slowly got up.

"Shit! Look at us!" Yazoo grabbed Souba from Kadaj's hand. "And all of this over what Mother has just said— so what if Mother's a weakling? You guys and her are all I have, so stop it!"

Kitty stifled a sob, and starting backing away.

Loz pushed Kadaj in the chest, and Kadaj barely even registered it. He was staring in surprise at Yazoo.

Once Kitty was out the door she turned and began to run. _I'm so sorry Kadaj… Loz… Yazoo… I'll return to you as soon as I can. Please don't come after me… _She ran for a long time: down hallways, staircases, and wings.

As Kitty was going down the last flight of stairs, she heard something.

"Mother?!" there came a lost cry from down the hallways.

Kitty stumbled going down a flight of stairs, and fell. Hitting the bottom, Kitty unfurled from her protective ball, and moaned. She let out another sob, and immediately stifled it.

"Mother…?" it was Loz's deep voice. Kitty wanted to call up to him tell him that she was there— but she just couldn't. She needed to do this.

Kitty closed her eyes in pain.

_You're the evidence that I lived…_

Kitty gasped, her eyes opened.

"Kid… you called for me?"

There stood Zack, as handsome as ever. When she embraced him, all questions that she had ever wanted to ask him disappeared. She was so glad he was solid… she was so happy and grateful he was there. She held him in a vice grip of a hug.

"Please, Zack, I need to get to Seventh Heaven— and quickly," she whispered into his clothes.

Zack stroked her long hair, "Of course, kid."

* * *

"Marlene! Marlene!" Denzel comes running down Seventh Heaven's front path towards a small girl in a pink dress. "What's wrong?" he grabbed a hold of her wrists, "Tifa was looking everywhere for you!"

Marlene began to cry, "I couldn't find her— I tried— but I couldn't find Kitty. I… I wanted to give this to her before she left…," Marlene held out her hands. Flowing gently against her palms was a soft melon, pink ribbon.

"But that's yours, Marlene," Denzel squeezed her shoulders, "Remember, Aerith gave that to you."

From somewhere inside of Seventh Heaven there was a shout, "Denzel! Where are you?!"

It was Tifa.

"I've found Marlene!" Denzel called back.

"No, Denzel…," Marlene gave him a scowl when he turned back to face her.

* * *

"So it's true? Aerith's daughter has been taken captive by the come-back-to-life- Sephiroth remnants…?" Yuffie let out an uproar of laughter. "Okay Cloud, I'll play along, what do you need of me?"

Cloud's lips were set in a firm line as he gazed upon Yuffie. She was leaning up against a wall in the foggy alleyway they were conversing in.

"I need your help in finding her. I need you to past this on to Vincent."

Yuffie rolled her eyes, "How are Vincent and I supposed to find her, when I don't even know what she looks like?"

"She looks a lot like Aerith…," Cloud replied in a blunt voice. He then turned his back on Yuffie, and walked away.

"Hey!" Yuffie called after him, "who's the girl's father?"

* * *

_You've failed me once again, Jacca—_

"_No master,"_ the bald man smiled up at the heavens. He was sitting upon his motorbike in the midst of the desert. Bizarre people with appalling physical mutations, were appearing from out of thin air all around him. They were all singing in low murmurs, singing a chant. "_I have only just begun…"_

* * *

A motorbike revved up outside— Kadaj raced to the window. There he saw Kitty clambering up behind a dark-haired man he'd never seen before. Tears, going unnoticed, trickled down his cheeks.

"Shit, Mother…," his hand slid down the window pane. "Not again— not again! Damn it! Damn it all— Yazoo pack up everything. We're going after her."

Yazoo came up next to Kadaj, and watched as the motorbike disappeared from view. "Have you been having these strange dreams lately?"

Kadaj's eyes widened. He turned to Yazoo who was staring out of the window still, indifferently.

"What about them?"

Yazoo turned his feline gaze upon Kadaj. "I think they're excerpts from our past."

* * *

Okay, I want to thank you guys for staying with me. I hope this chapter was to your liking:).


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